Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Tsubomi
by UchihaEna
Summary: Noctis Lucis Caelum, powerful prince and lone surviver of Tenebrae, is whisked away from his steel-trapped kingdom to the outside world by a trio of vagabonds. However, when circumstances grow dire, Noctis must choose between friendship and his duties...
1. Chapter 1

Ah, all right! Since my good friends Yuki Minamoto and Qwerty91 convinced me enough to post this, here is the first chapter of my Final Fantasy Versus XIII fic, "Tsubomi". Tsubomi translates directly to "Flower Bud" in English, but the meaning behind this title will shape itself out as the story progresses. Please enjoy, everyone!

* * *

Side Note: Here are the names that I've given to the unnamed characters in FF VS XIII:

Shot-gun Guy: Vidal ("Lively" in Latin)

Scar-Over-Eye Guy: Adelais ("Noble" in Latin)

Glasses Guy: Ezio ("Like an Eagle" in Latin)

* * *

Kono saki ni tsuzuku michi ni wa

Hana ga saite iru darou ka?

_Will there be flowers blooming_

_On the road up ahead?_

Magari michi ookute mayou koto...

Konna koto aru darou ka.

_There's so many roads you can take..._

_It's easy to get lost sometimes._

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter One~

"Ugh," Vidal groaned, side-stepping from yet another bloodied corpse of an armored man. "This is _horrible_... What kind of place is this?"

"A dead one," Vidal's good partner, Adelais, answered. He was fingering at the vertical scar over his left eye tenderly, which usually signified an increasing tension within.

Vidal ran a hand through his mussy blonde hair. "Then why the hell did we stop here? This isn't exactly the best pit stop..."

"Quit whining," Ezio, the bespeckled leader of the trio, snapped. "There's something strange in this place...Something... _powerful_."

"Well, the only thing I'm sensing around here is degrading flesh!" Vidal retorted, tapping his trusty shot-gun over his shoulder impatiently. "And what's with all of this concrete and steel? There's not a single spot of green around here! I'm getting claustrophobic!"

Adelais and Ezio sighed. They knew that once Vidal started complaining, he wouldn't stop until justice was served. Simply ignoring him for the moment, however, the two of them continued their reconnaissance of the area, in search of the disturbance Ezio had claimed to have perceived.

"**Hey**!" Vidal called out. "You're just gonna leave me behind here?!"

"Go back to the car," Ezio replied simply. "We'll all meet back there in a bit."

"Hmph," the gun-toting blonde huffed, turning on his heal. "What am I? Chopped liver?"

Kicking a stray piece of rubble with his foot, he sullenly started back towards the vehicle in solitude. If there was anything Vidal hated more than being surrounded in an area that made him uncomfortable, it was being in such a place alone. It wasn't so much that he was scared, either--he was perfectly capeable of defending himslef when the time for battle came--but it was more that Vidal was the group kind of person; he could act and respond more naturally when among others.

He chuckled apathetically to himself. 'I'm just overreacting again... It's not like I'm permanently alone. Geez, Vidal, pull yourself togther!'

Slapping his cheeks for reassurance, Vidal then walked more confidently and even whistled an off-pitch tune that had just popped into his head.

'Easy,' he thought, 'there's nothing to worry about... This place is practically a wasteland of steel and buildings anyway...'

And at that moment, he heard a gun shot sound from his right, followed by the clashing of steel and several battle cries and grunts.

"What the...?!" Vidal gapsed out, rushing towards the commotion.

Turning a sharp corner, the blonde's eyes grew ten-times their normal size at the sight before him...

A young man, no older than he, with jet-black hair and gleeming crimson eyes, was magically deflecting a raid of bullets from an armored figure, who was well equipped with a type of gun that Vidal had never seen in his life. But as exciting at it seemed, the battle was short-lived, and the black-haired fellow quickly slew the armored figure with the haste handling of his single-edged blade. Speechless, Vidal stood dumbfounded, not able to look away from the black-haired young man, whose incredible crimson eyes unblinkingly observed the dying armored figure at his feet.

'Wh-what was that?' Vidal gulped dry air. 'Was that... _magic_?"

But before he could even begin to contemplate what he had just saw, a sluggish shadow appeared behind the black-haired fellow and Vidal let out a reflexed, "BEHIND YOU!"

Whirrling around quickly, the black-haired young man was met with another shower of bullets, which were, again, negated with an invisible shield that surrounded his being.

'It is!' Vidal found himself smirking slightly. 'This guy can use _actual_ magic!'

In the midst of his admiration, the latest opponent was brought down just as rapidly, but there had been damage delt to the black-haired fellow this time around. His reflexes had been slightly off and several bullets had managed to penetrate through his barrier, the wounds bleeding sluggishly from his chest. Despite the fatality they could bring, the young man grit his teeth and bared the throe, walking off without question.

"W-wait!" Vidal stammered. "You're wounded! You shouldn't be walking around so casually!"

The black-haired young man failed to respond and continued to walk off, his arm applying pressure to supress the pain.

Vidal sighed in aggrevation and stormed towards him, gripping his shoulder. "Are you even listening to me?! You'll be dead in no time with those wounds!"

But as the black-haired young man tried to wrench himself free from Vidal's grasp, he faltered and fell limp, the bloodloss getting to him.

"**Hey**!!" Vidal exclaimed, holding the dying fellow upright. "Hang in there!"

Cussing to himself, Vidal had no choice but to sling the black-haired young man over his shoulder and rush back to the car.

~...~

Ezio and Adelais were waiting for Vidal beside their car, rather perplexed that he hadn't been there when they had arrived back several moments ago.

"First he complains, and now he's somewhere out there fooling around..." Adelais rubbed his aching temples. "That guy is seriously the living embodiment of hypocrisy."

Ezio shrugged. "Maybe he has an acceptable excuse... Though that's highly doubtful."

Silence engulfing both of them, they leaned against the car's chilled metal in anticipation.

"Ah, speaking of," Adelais mused, "there he is."

"Wait," Ezio stated sternly, "there's someone else with him..."

Rushing towards their friend, they stared perplexed at the wounded young man slung at his shoulder.

"He was wounded in combat against those armored men we've been seeing around this place!" Vidal explained. "I couldn't just leave him to die so... We need to help him!"

Adelais nodded. "Agreed. I'll get out the medical kit we have stashed..."

Ezio adjusted the glasses slipping down his nose. "Besides... he could hold some valueable information as to what's happended to this place..."

* * *

~Chapter One Finis~

And that's all for chapter one! It was extremely interesting to try and write a story where I knew absoultely nothing about the characters or how they should act... All I could really do was assume their actions by their appearance. It's more challenging that way, but fun to do as well. To me, Vidal comes across as the high-spirited young man with an amiable air, where, in contrast, Ezio is the cool, calm, and collected type. And Adelais really seems like the strong, just, and kind older brother type to me. (Or possibly even the mercenary type? ;3) I can't wait to show more of Noctis' attitude and personality though... But that's in the next chapter, of which, I hope you all return for!

Until then, please drop in a review with your thoughts, comments, questions, suggestions, and flames!


	2. Chapter 2

Ah, I hope this wasn't too long of a wait for some of you! ^^; This installment of **_Tsubomi_** is much shorter than the last, but I promise it won't always be this way!

And many thanks to all of the fabulous reviewers! I hope you stay with me!

Now for something I forgot last time...

~Disclaimer~:

I don't own anything relating to Final Fantasy Versus XIII... If I did, well, the names for everyone would've

been released some time ago!!

* * *

Sukoshi furueteru kokoro to karada...

Sugoku fuan da.

_My heart and my body are trembling a little..._

_I'm incredibly anxious ._

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Two~

"_Magic_?" Ezio raised a speculative brow.

"Yes! That's what _he_ used!" Vidal huffed exasperatedly, ultimately losing his patience. "It was utterly astounding! He blocked the bullets from this type of gun I've never even seen before! It was _mad_!"

"Well," Ezio ran a hand through his thick head of chestnut-brown hair, "there's _another_ thing that is..."

"It's the truth!" Vidal cried, clenching his fists tightly. "You believe me, right, Adelais?"

The scarred man remained silent, arms folded across his chest in deep contemplation.

Vidal exhaled and leaned against the cold metal of their jet-black vehicle. "Geez... Just you two wait! When that guy wakes up, you'll get the full story and proof!"

"Of which shouldn't be too long," Ezio pointed inside the car's back seat. "I think he's coming around."

And he was right. With a soft groan, the mysterious, black-haired fellow lifted himself up, cringing at the painful weight his wounds were bringing down upon on him.

"You shouldn't move too much," Adelais stated firmly. "The puntures from the bullets were deep and are still fresh."

The black-haired fellow glanced uneasily at the scarred man, unresponsive still.

"Say, Vidal," Ezio adjusted his glasses and looked carefully at the fellow's face, "didn't you say that this young man had **red** eyes?"

"Yeah," the shot-gun wielding blonde nodded, "and he does."

Ezio chuckled. "Take a closer look, my friend. They're clearly **azure**."

"WHAT?!" Vidal roared. "That's a lie! You're just--"

But as he faced the fellow, he evidently _did_ have icy-blue orbs...

Speechless, Vidal stood dumbfounded. He hadn't been imagining it--the crimson tinge--had he...?

"Do you have a name?" Adelais finally asked.

It took a moment for the fellow to give a reply, but after sighing silently, he mumbled a low, "Noctis."

"Noctis," Adelais repeated under his breath. "So... Are you a resident of this area?"

But with a slight moment's hesistation, the one known as Noctis dodged the latter inquiry and mumbled a dark, "My eyes... _Are they now __**azure**_?"

"Yes," Ezio answered calmly.

Instantaniously, Noctis reacted quickly and rushed out of the back seat of the car.

"What are you doing?!" Vidal snapped, trying to hold him back.

"This doesn't concern you _outsiders_," the black-haired enigma growled. "This is my own personal affair... Leave now!"

And with a robust jab with his elbow to Vidal's ribs, Noctis broke free and dashed off into the snaking streets.

"Gah! **Damn you**!" the blonde grunted, giving chase.

Nodding to eachother, Adelais and Ezio started after the two, but as they began pursuit, several figures appeared from the shadows of the rundown buildings and threateningly readied their weapons.

Ezio chuckled. "Well, Vidal, here is your proof... I'm sorry that I ever doubted you."

* * *

~Chapter Two Finis~

And the dreaded cliffhanger arises! I hope that doesn't irk anyone. ^^;;

By the way, I was having incredible fun writing Ezio's dialogue! He's such an interesting character to develop! I'd be most happy if he really talked like that, with a sarcastic sense of mischievousness... ^////^ haha. I'll stop now.

You know, though... As the days fly by and my obsession with FF VS XIII increases by the second, you know it gets bad once you start making _fanflashes_... And I am one of those victims, unfortunately! :'3 For anyone interested, please check out my YouTube account (the link is posted on my profile) and take a peek at the two videos I made (if you have time, of course ^^).

On that note, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see you all next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Ah, sorry for the late update! I've finally reached some writer's block for this fic **already**!!! It's actually incredibly hard to put the scenes in my head into correct words that can dipict the images and moods I want to express in type... But I should be okay for some time now!

~Disclaimer~:

Final Fantasy Versus XIII is not mine... Damn. =3=

* * *

Naka nainda dekirunda.

Kowaku nanka nainda.

Nandomo ii kikasetanda...

"Naka nainda dekirunda.

Kowaku nanka nainda."

_I won't cry, I can do it._

_I'm not afraid._

_I told myself that again and again..._

_"I won't cry, I can do it._

_I can't be afraid. "_

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Three~

The surroundings blurred past Vidal as he forced himself to sprint just to keep up with Noctis' blinding pace.

"He's like a freakin' chocobo!" the blonde huffed, his lungs burning with a painful searing sensation.

The two continued likethis for some time until Noctis finally came to a gradual halt infront of a tremendously large, obsidian lustered complex.

Eyes growing ten times their normal size, and trying to catch his breath, Vidal uttered a weak, "Wh-What is this place? A **castle**...?!"

Nocris just dramatically scowled and started up the stairway to the double-doored entrance. Vidal unquestionably followed after.

"I thought I told you to leave," the black-haired enigma snapped sharply, stopping infront of the doors.

"Not before you give my friends and I a proper explination," Vidal countered, standing his ground.

Noctis craned his neck slightly, his cold, icy-blue orbs piercing into Vidal's warm brown ones. "I... am **not** obliged to **any** such thing. You do not belong here, nor do you have any business prodding into the personal affairs of this place... Now get out of my kingdom!"

And with a swift slam of the doors, Vidal was left in the lonesome quietude, Nocris' harsh, spit-fire words rebounding around in his head like a reverberating echo.

"Your... _kingdom_?" the blonde whispered, stretching out his hand to clasp the door handle. "Noctis... just... _who are you_?"

~...~

Back at the crosswalk, Ezio and Adelais were surrounded by a swarm of clammoring armored figures. With not much left to protect themselves with, defeat looked eminent.

"There's no end to these guys," Adelais growled, his dukes put up defensively.

Ezio adjusted his glasses and emptied the hollow bullet shells from the barrel of his handgun. "You're telling me. We take down one of these guys, three more come back in his place. I think we're dealing with some inhuman forces here, my friend."

Adelais then went to say something when the armored army unexpectedly averted its total attention to the northwest--towards where Noctis and Vidal had headed off to. And in a brief moment, the horde of plated bodies hurried forward, almost trampling over a baffled Adelais and Ezio. When the stampede subsided, the two vagabonds were left to choke on the picked up dust, their vision hazy and dispositions delayed.

"Why did they suddenly...?" Adelais started, but with a split second contemplation, recieved his indefinate answer. "It **has** to be..."

Ezio fixed his disheveled coif and sighed irritatedly. "It **is**. It's that Noctis kid."

"I thought something was strange about that boy..."

"No time for thinking, Adelais," Ezio interrupted, pocketing his empty handgun. "The power I sensed before is now getting stronger..."

"You reckon it's... a _crystal_?" the scarred man said lowly.

Ezio's glasses caught a glare of the moon's luminous rays as he slipped them up the bridge of his nose. "Possibly. Never could hurt to double check. Besides, knowing Vidal, he's going to need some help getting out of this fix."

"Always brewing trouble, that one."

"Henh. And one of the very reasons he still sticks around. Not that we could ever get rid of him so easily..."

~...~

Vidal found himself in an empty corridor, stifiling his breath with each step he took. For an elaborately elegant, gothic themed castle, it sure did resemble something wicked and haunted.

"Shit," the blonde cussed strongly. "Where did that bastard run off to?! Damn, this place is too big...!"

Winding through the snaking halls, Vidal began to aimlessly wonder... Did Noctis really own this dead land of concrete and steel? It didn't seem unlikely, however, where were the rest hif people? The castle guards? The populace? Unless...

He was the sole living being among a sea of rotted corpses.

The very ponderment sent a chill dancing down Vidal's spine. He loathed such mutilated thoughts... Death. Sorrow. Violence. Senseless murder. There was nothing he hated more. After all, his parents...

And around the corner, there was a clash of steel, causing Vidal to jump three feet out of skin.

'A sword fight?!" he noticed, pumping his legs into a run.

Then he saw it.

* * *

~Chapter Three Finis~

I wonder what he saw...?! :O Hahaha... Okay, I won't tease you all about it. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter for that! ;3 (Of which will be coming at you much much faster than this one!)

Ah, and I want to give some well deserved thanks to the amazing reviwers so far! (In order of their first appearance.) Here we go:

**Yuki Minamoto**

I love you! You're an amazingly kind and lovely person! You give such postive and helpful feedback! I'm glad you're taking your time to read this fic! Thank you! (And go read Yuki's fics is you haven't! They're skillfully written and addictive!)

**Lemonizer**

A faithful fan to Vidal (the Shotgun Guy)! I'm so happy you're enjoying the story! Please stay with me!

**LittleOnionCake**

My little cousin who loves Vidal as well! Just please don't become a rapid fangirl! X'D

**Animangame02freak**

Anime-san! I admire and love you so much! You always seem so busy with your amazing FF VS XIII fic (which I want everyone to go read right now if they haven't already! :3) so it makes me uber happy to see your reviews! Thanks a ton!

**fantasygirl1227**

"Noctipus Maximus" shall become a household name! XD Thanks for scaring me to update as fast as I can! You're awesome!

**Stella Nox Fleuret**

Thanks for reading my fic! I hope it continues to please you!

**ShotGun Gal**

Another fan of Vidal! Thanks for reviewing!

**qwerty91**

Qwerty-san, I love you too! Your fic (GO READ!!! XD) actually helped introduce me to everyone at the forums and finally give me the last push to actually post this fic! Thank you from the bottom of my soul!

Okay, that's all for now... Next time, there will be an INTENSE fight! With whom? Well...Hmm. How about you all review with who you think it will be? Hu hu hu...


	4. Chapter 4

I hope this was a quick enough update ^^;; Lately, ever since joining the amazing Final Fantasy XIII, Agito, and VS XIII forum here on FF, I've been getting so much inspiration and ideas! X'D I guess it's thanks to all of the wonderful people there! My thanks goes out to all of you guys! (And the faithful readers of course!) Let us commence! ;3

~Disclaimer~:

If I owned Final Fantasy Versus XIII, there would be a side event in which includes Noctis experiencing a very OOC moment where he would suddenly become amnesiatic and act like a ladies man! =w= But since I don't... well... 'Tis a shame!

* * *

Tsuyoki de inai to...

Kuzurete shimau ki ga shite.

_I feel like if I'm not strong..._

_I'll crumble._

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Four~

A large deity of a crystal loomed over Vidal, rotating in a perfect vertical axis, slowly, but never missing a beat. It's internal color looked black--as deep as the obsidian castle walls--and emanated a weak, and almost morose, cerulean hue. As if possessed by its beauty, Vidal took a step forward, ready to touch it, but he stopped himself half-way. The elaborate pedestal in which the crystal hovered from was dripping sluggishly with a dark, gloppy substance that bubbled on contact. Small drops were idly sliding off of the crystal, almost as if it were weeping.

"What _is_ this stuff?" Vidal cringed, a bubble expanding and then popping, emitting a disgusting odor. "It smells like..."

"**Death**?"

Vidal spun on his heel, facing a white cloaked figure. It wasn't Noctis, Vidal could tell that much. The difference in this being's aura was far more... _eerie_ than Noctis' had been. But just how long had this person been observing the blonde? The last time he remembered, there hadn't been any following footsteps besides his own...

The cloaked figure chuckled deeply. "That black ichor you see there? It's **miasma**, the most _purest_--and _deadliest_--poisonous substance known to mankind. Why, a mere _whiff_ of it could bring you to your knees..."

Vidal felt disturbed by that explination, and gulped a meek, "And why is the crystal...?"

"It's dying," the cloaked figure interrupted. "The crystal's power is being diminished."

But before the blonde could further inquiry the subject, a slothful dragging noise sounded from beyond the corridor... A heap of a body was lugging itself across the marbleized floor, using his sword to bring him forward...

"N-Noctis!" Vidal gasped, shocked to see the black-haired enigma in such a pitied state.

The cloaked figure did not even face Noctis as he spouted a sneering, "Still alive, eh... _Prince Noctis_?"

"**Prince**?!"

And with that, Noctis leapt from where he lay, becoming a vicous blurred flash, clashing his blade with the figure's, of whom had pulled his out from thin air.

"_Bastard_!!" Noctis spat, a prominent wound bleeding profoundly from his left side. "Stop this at once!"

"..." Vidal failed to speak... to _breathe_. His legs began to tremble, but he couldn't tell if it was because of his fear or the miasma behind him. But one thing he did know...

The strength and ability from these two... Vidal felt as if he even approached them just so, he would undoubtfully be killed in a second.

'I feel like,' Vidal pondered, failing to compose himself, 'if I even as so much as look at him, that cloaked man will eradicate me... What... What _power_!!'

And as Noctis' and the cloaked man's battle raged, Vidal was a sitting duck, observing each parry and dodge... Watching their battle waltz in almost entertainment. However, no matter how powerful the attack, Noctis always seemed like the disadvantaged fighter... He was heavily wounded afterall. But because of this, Vidal knew that he wouldn't be the victor... and when that happened...

'I need to do something!' the blonde panicked, fingering the shotgun at his back nervously. 'But even if I shoot, I might hit Noctis... Dammit! Why am I always the useless one?!'

And with a fearsome swing, the cloaked man managed to knock Noctis' blade from his grasp and leave him defenseless.

"Game, set, match, Prince," the figure rasped ecstatically, lifting the point of his sword to Noctis' neck. "No longer will you pester in my goals..."

"**Noctis**!!!" Vidal screamed, peparing his gun.

"No!" the Prince exclaimed, raising his hand to signal a pause. "Don't shoot."

"But...!" the blonde hesitated.

Noctis wasn't really admitting defeat was he? He wasn't really going to accept his death so easily... _was he_?

"Any last words, Prince?" the cloaked figure said.

Noctis thought for a moment, his expression never changing, and then nodded. "A request."

'What?' Vidal raised a brow. 'Is he planning something?'

"Fine," the figure lowered his sword slightly. "State your terms."

Noctis then looked behind him to Vidal and then back to his enemy. "I wish that my good friend here be my executioner."

"**WHAT**?!" Vidal gaped, astounded.

The cloaked figure smirked wryly. "What an interesting supplication... Very well then. You there!" he pointed to Vidal. "Use that pathetic excuse of a weapon of yours and put him out of his misery!"

The blonde clenched his teeth and cringed. "I..."

But at the corner of his eye, he could see that there was a faint glint of confidence in Noctis' eyes, edging him to continue. With no further questions asked, Vidal raised his gun and aimed for the back of Noctis' head.

'Whatever it is that you're planning,' he thought, slowly curling his finger around the trigger, 'you better be damned prepared so that I don't end up killing you!!'

A gunshot rang throughout the corridors, and the sound of shattering glass pierced Vidal's ears. A flash of bright blue light engulfed the area, and then he knew no more.

~...~

* * *

~Chapter Four Finis~

Wow, _another_ cliffhanger...! Hmm, did Noctis survive, I wonder? And what about that white cloaked man? Guess you'll just all have to return for the next chapter for those answers! ;p

However, I have a reference that I used here from another Final Fantasy game--the "Miasma", or that black ichor which was leaking from the dying crystal? That substance is actually a key factor in the Crystal Chronicles installment for the Game Cube that came out some handful of years ago. At first it was just going to be a type of Geostigma like goop that was in the Final Fantasy VII movie, Advent Children, but upon flipping through some old Nintendo Power mags, I came across the Miasma term. I liked it better than a Geostigma knock off, so I quickly used it. ;3 Just thought I'd share that fact. (I wonder what other references I'll use in the future eh?)

Not in the greatest of health right now... I'm actually super sick. TwT But hopefully I'll update before the end of the week! Please leave a review... and see you next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Wow, after being inspired by some really awesome fanfics out there, I'm charged and ready to update !^^ I'm happy that I've decided to post this fic... It certainly does give me something a little different to look foward to working with everytime!

~Disclamer~:

Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Noctis, and his counterparts **don't** belong to me!!!

* * *

Furi dashita ame ga kokoro ni,

Hana sakasete kureru kara.

_The rain that fell,_

_Has made flowers bloom in my heart._

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Five~

When Vidal had pulled the trigger, it seems that Noctis, using the last bit of magic he could pull from the crystal, managed to summon forth another mystical-looking blade, which was gravely similar to the one that he had held before. From this spilt-second action, the bullet was allowed to ricochet off of the harder than steel weapon and rebound directly back into the dying, rotating deity. It immediately shattered into a thousand shards of black glittering glass and decimated into thin air before hitting the marble floor. The white-cloaked man gave out a raging roar in despair, and a flourescent blue light engulfed the area, taking Vidal and Noctis with it.

~...~

Vidal's eyes fluttered open, his head giving a profound pound. Whatever had happened, he had somehow managed to land outside, sprawled across the pavement of an empty sidewalk. There were thick grey clouds spreading over the luminous moon, signifying the rain to come.

"How... did I get here?"

"I teleported us," the voice of Noctis sounded from beside him. His face was still as straight and serious as ever, not a falter nor exasperated feature on him. However, his wounds were a different story, and the exposed ripped flesh was creating a small crimson pool around his ribcage.

"Gah! So much blood!" Vidal sprang to his feet in alarm. "If we don't cover those, you'll bleed to death!"

"..." Noctis remained silent and closed his eyes. "I... In return, I'll explain what happened."

"Eh?" the blonde spouted stupidly.

"I owe you at least that."

~...~

Adelais and Ezio witnessed a supernatural blunder--in the midsts of their full-fledged pursuit of the armored platoon, they all simultaniously vanished in the blink of an eye, no questions asked, no warnings given.

"The hell?!" Ezio spat, adjusting the glasses on his sweaty nose.

"Look!" Adelais pointed, a blinding blue light spouting from every angle of a castle-like structure.

As they watched in amazement, the light gradually died out, fading into those of the moon's rays.

"Was **that** the power you had been sensing?" the scarred man asked, brow furrowed.

Ezio nodded. "Well... it **was**. I don't feel a speck of magic now. Something must've happened..."

"Do you think those soldiers succeeded then? In getting the crystal's power?"

"Not too sure. Our best bet is to still head over there..."

But before they could move a muscle, a familiar prescence was approaching them.

"Hey! I managed to drag him back for questioning!" Vidal bellowed triumphedly, grinning from ear-to-ear.

A rather sheepish and tired looking Noctis was leaning at his shoulder, like a human crutch.

Adelais broke into a smile of his own, while Ezio shook his head.

"At least... we don't have to go pick him up now."

~...~

The white-cloaked man was in despair, rage pouring out of every pore in his body, bold hatred seething out from his teeth. An elegant figure then trotted into the scene, every step careful and graceful. But she too had a melancholic air around her.

"The crystal," she began plainly, "is it really...?"

"Speak not of what has happened tonight!" the man shot belligerently. "I need not remember my grave transgressions!"

"Forgive me," she bowed her head just so. "However, the Prince... Noctis... does he still... _live_?"

"Very much so. For a complete greenhorn in the magical arts, he can certainly improvise..."

"Sir," the graceful figure added, "allow me to lure him back. He may have nothing left to protect, but I'm sure with some guidance..."

"No," the white-cloaked man interrupted. "Let him drink from the cup of victory for the time being... It's only when he's had too much shall we make our next move."

"Yes, Sir."

"..._Stella_," the man turned to her, "remember that there can be no room for intimacy during this undertaking... Emotion will be your downfall."

"U-Understood," she hesitantly spouted, carrying on her way.

'_Noctis Lucis Caelum_,' she said in her mind, the name like a ghoulish echo. '... I doubt you'd even recall such a lowly exisitance as mine, but... The best of luck to you... In this game for conquership.'

* * *

~Chapter Five Finis~

Ooh, Stella has appeared! =w=;;; I wonder what kind of comments could come of this suicidal action I've taken?! Hahaha... Don't hate me too much for putting her in this fic! I promise that she'll make it interesting!

Oh, by the way... Remember back in chapter 3 where Vidal called Noctis a "freakin' chocobo"? Well, I was playing the DS remake of FFIV the other day, and was I was hastily reminded that there are indeed **black chocobo**!!! I laughed really hard at the thought of such an existance... (Black chocobo can even FLY a bit!!!) So if FFVII's Cloud Strife is the regular yellow chocobo, then our dear ol' Noctis is the black breed of chocobo! lol What a realization! This calls for some interesting fanart...

Anyway, no cliffhanger this time! Whoot! I look forward to happy reviews! And refrain from flaming Stella... She's not _that_ bad, guys!! (coughAnime-sanYukiLittleOnionCakecough) ^^;;;


	6. Chapter 6

Even though it'll never be apparent to you guys (the readers) but this story has undergone sooo many changes ^^;;; It's almost completely different from what I had originally started out with... But I think that's a good thing! Everyone at the FFXIII forum is so creative and knowledgeable... If you haven't already, please go check out the forum! It's an amazing place with kind people who all share their love for their favorite series---Final Fantasy XIII, VS XIII, and Agito. ^^

~Disclaimer~:

Final Fantasy Versus XIII is not mine! I wonder how much it cost to own it, though...

* * *

Me no mae ga mienaku nattemo

Kono michi wo aruku kara

_Even if I can't see ahead of me  
__  
I'll keep on walking this road_

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Six~

A light drizzle started over the area, picking up a thick mist. Noctis' medical treament hadn't taken that long, and he and the others were now taking shelter under the roof of the vagabonds' rather spacious, black vehicle. Despite the droplets hitting the window panes, discussion among the four was thin, until Noctis began his complex story, that is.

"A **prince**, huh?" Ezio tapped on the streeing wheel habitually. "And here, in **Tenebrea**, of all places... I never would've recognized it with all of the concrete and desolate streets."

Vidal's curiosity was piqued. "Since when have you ever been here before, Ezio?"

The bespeckled man gave a laugh. "Before you were even outta your mother's womb, kid. I came here when I was a child. Tenebrea was better known for its open air markets and foreign merchants back then... But now, well..."

He fell into a reminiscent quietude.

Noctis cast his intense gaze out the tinted car backseat window. "Your facts are true. Tenebrea's past was, indeed, prosperous due to everyday life simplicities... But my family... As soon as death fell upon them, there was no one left to make any sensible choices for the land."

"But what about you, Noctis?" Vidal raised a brow.

"I was too young to even think about taking the throne," he replied bitterly. "My god father was the only one left to continue the line of order, however... Eventually, over time, the royal court became a series of extensive business meetings, and traditional countermeasures were replaced by ridiculous negotiations. The stone-laden land I had once grown up in was quickly torn down to the bare ground and towers of steel and walkways of concrete immediately overtook everything in sight. And as the years passed, the kind denizens disappeared as well, the only thing remaining..."

"...The crystal," Vidal breathed, finishing the Prince's statement.

Noctis nodded. "That's the only reason I was cast off here, aside from the fact that I wouldn't be interferring in my god father's own agenda... The crytsal and I have stayed in this dying kingdom ever since I was old enough to fend for myself... And fend off others."

Everyone was silent, keen on hearing more.

"The armored soldiers you saw," he continued, "they're an opposing force in search for the many crystals scattered upon our country. Their motives for doing so are unclear to me, but one thing is certain... They're doing so in order to create something devestating... From this, I can also assume that my god father is utilizing these plans to his advantage, scraping together as much information as he can to increase his own technological fantasies."

Adelais sighed. "But isn't that what all the current age companies aiming for? Technological dominance?"

Noctis scowled. "It doesn't end there. My god father... and his company... the _Caelum Company_..."

"**Caelum**?!" Ezio gasped out.

"... it uses a string of illegal means to gain funds for it's research devision. Drugs... Alienated foreigners... Even **death**. The company is corrupt and completely disrespectful to my family name!"

Vidal cringed. "Horrible... How does your god father stay in such a high position?"

Ezio turned to him and Noctis sitting in the back. "The bastard owns every other small company and business around... Ever looked closely at the name under our licence plate? Well, his company owns that too. With _that_ kind of authority, the man's almost immune to any type of criminal charge."

Vidal was dumbstruck. "Damn..."

The Caelum Company... Noctis being an isolated prince... the shady army of armored men searching for crystals... It was all so... **deep**. Vidal just felt like drowning in it all.

"So," Adelais broke the tension, "any plans?"

"Oh, that's right," the blonde suddenly recalled a lost contemplation, "what are you going to do now, Noctis? Now that the crystal is obliterated and all..."

The Prince rested his chin upon his palm. "I don't know. I haven't given it much thought. The best thing for me would be to see my god father and report what's happened... But I'm not so sure at the moment."

Vidal grinned. "Then that settles it! You're coming with us!"

Ezio looked to Adelais with a lame expression, mumbling, "How did I know _that_ was coming...?"

Noctis just blankly stared at the blonde, his icy-blue eyes unwavering, quickly replying with a taut, "Why? Haven't I caused you lot enough trouble? Or are you just a glutton for punishment?"

The blonde chuckled. "Maybe. But that's not the point... **You're** the one who's gotten us involved... And now I want to see this interesting story of yours unfold."

The Prince, for once, returned a miniscule smile. "Suit yourself."

* * *

~Chapter Six Finis~

Gah! X'D Why do all of the chapters in this story seem so... _SHORT_? I need to seriously amp up the volume...

Anywho... I think it's safe to say that:

**The adventure now begins**! X'D I'm actually kind of happy to see things moving away from the kingdom. My favorite thing to write as a fanfic author has to be the settings and vivid surrounding descriptions! (The scene that gave birth to the title of this fic is also steadily approaching...!!)

Ah, and about Noctis' god father... He's that rugged looking man you see at the head of the meeting table in the FF VS XIII trailers... Pretty good use for him, eh? ^^ I'm still thinking of a name for him, so that's why Noctis didn't say anything during his tedious explanation. If anyone has a name in mind, please tell me in your reviews or send me a PM/e-mail! (I will give you credit, of course! ;3) I love feedback more than anything, but awesome ideas and opinions are also greatly appreciated!

Well... I'm off to enjoy what I have left of my weekend... See you all next time! ;3


	7. Chapter 7

A super quick update for once... ^^;; This chapter is one of my absolute favorites, and there's a special character who appears as well! ;3 I wonder who it is...? Nya ha ha... Oh! And a special thanks to SunflowerWielder and SenpaiKohaiDanna for giving me such great names for Noctis' god father! (SunflowerWielder's is his first and SenpaiKohaiDanna's is his middle ;3) You're both the best!

~Disclaimer~:

I don't own anything in the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII series. However, I do happen to own this fic's plot...

* * *

Dare mo hitori ja nai

Sasaeatte ikite irun da

_Nobody is alone  
__  
We spend our lives supporting each other_

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Seven~

"Um, Sir?" came trotting in one of the many loyal attendants to the company's king fish.

"Yes? What is it?" he replied, not even bothering to look up at his messanger as he continued to sign an important transcript.

"I've recieved news about your god son, Noctis..."

"What about him?"

"Well," the attendant struggled for the appropriate words, "it seems that... he's _left_ Tenebrae..."

Alaricus Caelum immediately stopped moving his pen. "Continue."

The attendant gulped. "And, er, the crystal..."

"What _about_ the crystal?!" Alaricus exclaimed viciously. "_Well_?! **Spit it out**!!"

"Y-yes, Sir!" the attendant panicked, sweating bullets. "Th-the crystal was **destroyed**! No traces of it are left! And because of this... Noctis... h-he presumably fled the land!"

"...Is that _so_?" the king fish rubbed his chin carefully, his brow furrowing into a dark gaze. "After all I've done for that brat..."

He then began to scrawl something quickly on a blank document.

"Sir...?"

"Here," Alaricus handed the attendant the paper after folding it in half. "Send this down to my personal team. They'll handle it from there."

"Yes, , Sir!" and the attendant rushed off, no questions asked.

Lounging back in his large, black, reclining leather chair, Alaricus stared hard at the rotating ceiling fan above him in contemplation. 'Disobey me, will you, young Noctis? Hmph... So be it. Dare you cross me, Alaricus Donyoku Caelum, you're nothing but a dead man... Family or not."

~...~

After driving for most of the night, the Prince and the vagabonds had finally crossed over the thin border out of Tenebrae, entering a long, snaking road that stretched far into a vast, foreign wasteland of orange dust and tumbleweeds. The temperature had increased dramatically and the burning sun gave the illusion of a melting horizon.

"Ugh," Vidal groaned, literally hanging out of the open car window, "I can't stand this heat... I'm _dying_...!"

Ezio gave a laugh. "It's better than being cramped up in a concrete jungle."

Vidal shot a death glare to the bespeckeled man through the rear-view mirror and slumped back into the backseat. "Geez... Hey, Noctis... aren't _you_ boiling? I mean, you wear such dark clothing..."

And as he slowly looked to the motionless Prince, he realized that he was contently sleeping, chin in his palm still, face being caressed by the small breeze slipping through the crack in his window.

The blonde sweatdropped. "For someone so serious... he seems pretty laidback."

"I think he's got the right idea," Adelais yawned. "Wouldn't hurt to get some proper sleep."

Vidal made a face. "Sure... but I don't have an internal cooling system like you guys do."

"Aw, quit your complaining, kid," Ezio snapped, becoming rather peeved. "We're almost at the first pitstop, so hold your horses until then."

"Whatever," the blonde shot, fingering at his trusted shotgun. "Ah, hey! Don't call me _kid_!"

Ezio gave a snort. "I'll keep calling you kid until you finally stop acting like one and grow up!"

Vidal frowned and left it at that, too stubborn to actually admit his own childish disposition.

The first civilization that the four came in contact with was something close to a ghost town of several apartment buildings, a pub, and a gas station. Stopping for some fuel, Ezio hung around the pump while Adelais and Vidal went to the pub for some cool drinks. Noctis was left to slumber in the car.

Feeling a cool burst of air as he entered through the shaded pub's door, Vidal gave a relieved sigh as he wiped his shining brow and took a seat. Adelais soon followed close behind, a more pleasant look washing over his face as his heated fatigue was pacified by the comfortable atmosphere too.

"What'll it be?" a female tender from behind the pub counter smiled, all the while wiping a fine glass mug with a sooty looking rag. Her rusty-orange hair was tied up into two cute pigtails that rested along her shoulders, her soft green eyes full of life and youth.

"Um, something cool and not too strong," Vidal said, resting his bare arms atop the counter.

"A light Black Magic for me, and go easy on the coffee liqueur," Adelais added, pulling out his wallet.

"You got it!" the pig-tailed tender nodded, skillfully putting together their orders. "So what brings a couple of good-looking guys like you to this sleepy little town?"

"Eh," Vidal mumbled, "we're just vagabonds. Nothing too special."

"I see," she mused, mixing together two different types of drinks in a shaker. "Sounds quite fun! By the way, how's the weather treating ya?"

The blonde, nor Adelais, had the motivation to respond to that particular question.

The girl giggled in amusement. "Sorry, I'm just teasing you! We don't get many visitors nowadays, but the heat always keeps the regulars coming!"

"Very efficient," Adelais commented, gratefully taking his Black Magic from the pig-tailed tender.

After handing Vidal his, she leaned back against the wall behind her and beamed. "So what're your names?"

"Vidal," the blonde replied. "Right here next to me is my good friend Adelais."

"Pleasure," the girl curtsied her apron. "I'm Vanille."

"Vanille," Vidal said after taking a sip of his beverage, "you said that not too many visitors come around... Is there any specific reason for that?"

Vanille's smile down-hearted a bit. "Well, sort of... Um, if you've got time, I can give you the gist of it."

Vidal looked to Adelais who nodded in return. "Sure. Shoot."

"Okay then... So it wasn't too long ago that this band of thugs showed up, hungry for car parts..."

~...~

At the gas pump, as Ezio was busy bargaining for a reasonable fuel price and some more medical provisions, Noctis was still dormant in the back seat of the car, completely unchanged from as he was during the beginning of their departure. However, with no actual attendant around as witness, a burly man and four other look-alikes strode over to the black vehicle and started checking out its customs, like a bunch of circling, hungry vultures.

"Say," the burly man grinned deviously, "this here's a Caelum model... Don't see too many fancy rides like this around these parts."

One of his croonies guffawed obnoxiously and bent down near the bumper. "The muffler's brand-spanking new! Not to mention these wheels are high friction resistant!"

Admiring the workmanship for a few more moments, it wasn't too long after that they began to actually disassemble the parts they wanted, snickering impishly as they did so.

But as Ezio walked out of the convenience store and saw what was going on, he was a little more than pissed to see a group of shady characters hijacking his custom auto-parts.

"**HEY**!" he bellowed billigerently. "**DAMMIT**--**WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU BASTARDS**?!"

He then ran up to one of the thugs and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, giving him a good right-straight to the jaw.

"Woah, four-eyes here wants to pick a fight, eh?" the burly man punched a hand into his opposite fist threateningly.

"Er, Boss," another croonie meekly interrupted, the back seat door open wide in his grasp, "there's some little punk sleeping in here..."

The burly man frowned. "The drag his ass out! What are you? Retarded?!"

Ezio couldn't help but pleasantly smirk at the thugs' ignorance. 'If only the poor fools knew...'

"Hey, sleeping beauty!" hissed the croonie, who suddenly began to violently shake Noctis' shoulder. " "It's time to get your ass outta dreamland!"

The Prince's eyes slowly opened, their cold, icy-blue gaze freezing the croonie stiff with intimidation. Blinking once, all it took Noctis was a simple thrust of his arm to send the croonie flying backwards into the ground, face-planting against the dusty pavement. Stepping out of the car, Noctis calmly looked to the group of thugs in front of Ezio and just glared daggers.

"Urk," theburly man gulped. "W-Well?! What're you dumbasses all waiting for?! Get that pretty sonuvabitch! Bash his face in!!"

Hesitant at first, the remaining three backups all decided to charge at the Prince at once, confident that their advantage in numbers would be their achilles' heel... Yet they all managed to meet the fate of their previous kin in a matter of less than a minute.

Not even breaking a sweat, Noctis then averted his attention to the last useless troublemaker before him; the so called "Boss" of the group.

Literally quivering in his boots, the burly man sputtered, "Wh-why you...!! **I'LL KILL YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT**!"

And as he blindly flung himself at the black-haired enigma, the leader of the thugs was hastily put in his place, Noctis becoming victorious once again.

Ezio let out a muffled laughand applauded. "Way to go! You sure showed them."

Noctis stared blankly at his bespeckled comrad, an air of irritation around him. "... They disturbed my sleep."

"So it seems," Ezio adjusted his glasses, rather appalled by his blunt response.

The Prince just blinked again and stretched his arms, heading back into the car. "I hate it when people do that."

~...~

After bidding farewell to Vanille and thanking her for the splendid drinks, Vidal and Adelais met back with Ezio, who was half-heartedly reading a newspaper next to the convenience store entrance.

"Ezio!" Vidal waved. "Is the car all souped to go?"

"Yeah," he replied, tossing the paper aside in a bin. "You guys ready?"

Adelais nodded. "Of course, Oh and the drinks here are superbly made! Especially the Black Magic... We'll have to come back again."

"Ah!" Vidal gasped as he peeked through the back seat window. "Has Noctis been **asleep** this whole time still?!"

Ezio snorted.

The blonde and Adelais stared at him curiously.

"A prince has got to get his sleep," he sneered, slipping into the driver's seat.

* * *

~Chapter Seven Finis~

And that's it! The longest chapter so far... I'm so tired I don't even know what to say... I want to sleep like Noctis...fwaahh...

Oh! Speaking of Noctis, his god father's name, Alaricus Donyoku Caelum, would translate into"The greedy powerful one in the sky". X'D It sounds so silly... but as I think about it, I picture a winged demon flying about causing chaos... So I guess it works out! ^^;; Haha... Again thanks so much to SunflowerWielder and SenpaiKohaiDanna for contributing!

Ah, and the special guest this time around was Vanille! ^^ I was really looking forward to doing that... She's such a cute character to write! =/////= I'm planning on putting other characters in this fic as well, so please look out for them!

Oh, and before I get branded as an alcholic expert, I actually had to look up the name and ingredients for "Black Magic". I had heard the name in a movie somehwhere... It just sounded cool so I decided to use it. I also wanted Adelais to be a manly guy who can take the strong stuff! ^^ Hahaha!

Well, I'm done ranting... please review, everyone, and I'll see you next time! (snore...)


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the late update, everyone... My computer is just totally shot, and I'm lucky to have even been able to post this chapter from home! X'O Also, since my computer is so incompetant, I won't be on the FFXIII, VS XII, and XIII Agito forums for a while... ToT (I miss them already!) However, PMs and e-mails still work, so if you need to contact me, please feel free to do so. So without further ado, here is Chapter 8.

~Disclaimer~:

I don't own Final Fantasy Versus XIII... though if I did, I would love to see what happens if Uchiha Sasuke ever came face to face with Noctis!

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Eight~

There came no warning on the evening where the rising flames burned violently and the hair-raising screeches of terror fell on sad, def ears. The rivers of blood that flowed down the streets were being surfed by the heavily armed soldiers of whom didn't even show one ounce of mercy as they threateningly marched safely in great numbers. To call this a terrible tragedy was an incredible understatementand it was one of many moments in time that needn't be revisted... However, Vidal was now looking on in horror as he was trapped within this very nightmarish setting once again, watching helplessly as everything he loved was being taken away in a single sweep.

"**NO**!" he screamed to no avail. "**MOTHER**!!! **FATHER**!!!"

~...~

The blonde awoke with a jolt, his heart pounding against his chest, and his body drenched in sweat. Catching his breath, he quickly wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and closed his weary brown eyes.

'A dream...' he sighed heavily, loosing up his tensed muscles. 'Ugh, what time is it?'

Lazily peering over to the digital clock on the bed stand beside him, he quickly noticed a sluggish palm over the snooze button, the arm attached belonging to none other than the sleepy Prince himself, who was still silently sleeping in the bed next to Vidal's. The blonde could still see the numbers inbetween Noctis' fingers though, and saw that it was already seven a.m.

"Geez," Vidal muttered to himself in amusement. "If he could, I bet Noctis would sleep his life away... _Still_, it is nice to get some decent rest on an actual bed for once. This inn was a good find..."

Giving a powerful yawn, Vidal slowly rolled off of the springy matress and rushed into the bathroom for a hot shower, finally changing from his sweaty bed clothes into his usual attire.

"I wonder if Adelais and Ezio have gone into town...?" he muttered, attempting to fix his head of wet, mussy blonde locks.

As he headed out of the inn room, Vidal abruptly stopped himself and wrote a short note to Noctis, just in the event that he should wake up and wonder where everyone had disappeared off to, and placed it on the bed stand. Though, the blonde doubted it would ever come into any use...

~...~

"So," a towering man said, rubbing the blonde whiskers on his chin, "_this_ is Rabanastre?"

His chauffeur bowed. "Yes. It's a very popular city known for its prospering markets and bustling streets. The vegetation quality is also second to none in the area, seeing as how a large forest of incredible fruit-bearing trees lies on the southern outskirts."

"You don't say?" the towering man grinned, making sure that his large rifle stayed hidden beneath his long, white over coat. "And you're postive I'll find the target here?"

The chauffeur nodded. "That's what my intel reported. If I'm not mistaken, he should be at an inn not too far from here..."

"Good. I'll can take it from here then," the towering man replied, slipping on his black cap a little tighter.

"A-are you sure, Mr. Snow, Sir? It's quite a hike...! Maybe I could drive you closer..."

The towering man known as Snow smiled impishly, revealing a glowing azure rune on his forearm. "Who said I was walking?"

And with a swift motion, Snow skillfully summoned forth a couple of graceful blue aeons in the form of two woman sisters. Upon hearing their summoner's request, they proceeded to successfully merge together in order to form a stylish and modernized-looking motorcycle, with one sister forming the head and the other the body. Hopping on with ease, Snow was off in an instant, causing a mild ruckus in the already busy streets with his flashy ride.

The chauffeur was speechless. He stared in awe for several more moments before clumsily stumbling back into his vehicle, more than ready to return back to the Caelum Company. 'These old arcane techniques... What madness! It's pure **madness**, I say!'

* * *

~Chapter Eight Finis~

Snow-san has appeared!! ^^ (dances) But heads up--he's going to be in this story for quite some time... The mischief he'll stir up in the upcoming chapters is certainly going to send Noctis and co. for a doozy! (Love that word...) I hope I can portray Snow-san correctly.

Also, another Final Fantasy reference was used! **Rabanastre** is one of the many beautiful towns from the game Final Fantasy XII (one of the most freakin hard Final Fantasy's out there!) and I only felt it appropriate to allow it to make an appearance (since FF VS XIII is currently lacking in the settings department =w=;;). More of Rabanastre's wonderful details and populace is just around the corner... (I can't wait to describe it all!) Please stay tuned, everyone.

**v ****IMPORTANT!**** v**

Since about 75% of the readers reading this fic are probably yaoi-phobic, I was wondering for those looking for some BL (Boys' Love) action, that maybe I should post the Vidal(Shotgun Guy)xNoctis scenes separately on my Live Journal, instead of discluding them all together? Feedback in the form of a review, PM, or e-mail would be greatly appreciated. I want to be able to satisfy all of my readers without freaking out/disappointing them!

Thank you for your time and see you next chapter! ^^


	9. Chapter 9

(sigh...) Spring Break is over, **but**... I HAVE BEEN ALLOWED BY MY COMPUTER TO RETURN TO THE FFXIII FORUMS!!! This most joyous event just beckons an update!

~Disclaimer~:

I do not own any of these characters, setttings, etc! They're all the respective children of Square-Enix and co.!

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Nine~

The marketplace was crowded and noisy, a random beggar in one place, a howling salesman in another. The abundant rows and stands of food, clothing, and materials almost seemed never-ending, as was the cluster of lively bodies. Ezio made sure to take note of the rare sight of the Bangaa, a reptile-esque race of fiercesome fighters who usually settled in the southern Dalmascan desert and Giza Plains. Their kind was a hot-blooded one, though the Bangaa were never known to pick petty fights for just the sport of it.

'They all must be here for the great business,' Ezio thought as he watched an orange-scaled Bangaa sell a hefty load of fresh meat to a young buyer.

Adelais, on the other hand, was more interested in the goddiping news that was floating around than the locals. Everywhere he turned to, there was some complaint about the army or the selfish aristocrats who owned them.

"The world is starting to change," a sullen woman nodded to a grocer.

"Aye. The tectonic shifts that happen to frequently... the Federation council acting too late... the people mired in dissatisfaction... And not to mention the reconstruction of the army under **that** bastard's watch..."

The woman sighed. "Looks like everything is moving according to **his** plans..."

'"His"?' Adelais raised a brow.

But before he could eavesdrop anymore, Ezio snapped him out of it.

"Say, we should stock up on some items while we're here."

Adelais, disappointed that he couldn't hear more of that previous conversation, nodded. "Yeah... Eh, Ezio, are you sure it was a good idea to leave Vidal alone without a notice? You know he'll most likely come searching for us like the devil..."

The bespeckled man smirked. "Well, let's let him tire himself out. His clinging around is wearing me out."

"Hey," Adelais replied, somewhat agitated, "Vidal is a vital part of our group. He... lightened things up for us on **more** than one occasion."

Ezio didn't reply.

Subsequently, he suddenly pulled Adelais aside into a back ally, without any sort of consent.

"Wh-What is it?!"

"Hold on," Ezio hissed, his gaze low on a specific target admist the crowd. "We've got company."

"Compan--_Is it someone from the army_?"

Ezio nodded and pointed to a dark skinned man, his brown hair in a shabby afro style. His green, sleek military uniform not only made a powerful statement about his status, but it showed off his muscular physique as well.

"**Sazh**?!" Adelais gasped out. "Damn! Did he trace us here, or...?!"

Ezio shook his head. "No. He's most likely on vacation. _But_... just to be safe, we should investigate."

Adelais couldn't agree more. "Good idea."

As the two snuck out of the marketplace through a side street and back into the main streets, they carefully watched as the military officer known as Sazh roamed eagerly into a pub, a roaring motorcycle zooming past them with incredible speed...

* * *

~Chapter Nine Finis~

Hmm, a short chapter but that's because I'm going to be updating again in the evening... Think of it as a weekend present. =w=;; (A _**Tsubomi**_ double feature!)

Since there still hasn't been any updates on Versus' settings and places, I've decided to use more Final Fantasy XII stuff... Including the appearance of the Bangaa, one of my favorite FF races (besides the Moogles and Viera ^////^). Sazh, the black dude with a little baby chocobo, has managed to slip into this fic! He's actually a really important aspect regarding to Ezio's and Adelais' pasts... I hope I'll be able to portray those smoothly... (nervous)

Also, due to a unanimous vote, the yaoi/BL chapters for _**Tsubomi **_will be posted on my Live Journal account. Nothing has been prepared yet, but once I get everything ready, I'll let everyone know when the chapters will be posted alongside the regularly scheduled _**Tsubomi**_.

Ah, and now it's time for some well deserved thanks to the awesome readers/reviewers:

Nipah:

A new comer to _**Tsubomi**_! ^^ I'm so glad you're enjoying the story!

Gasp-x:

I absolutley love the Shotgun GuyxNoctis. It's one of the best pairings out there! I hope to be able to get those BL chapters up on my LJ soon!

Sunflower Wielder:

I'm honored by all of your reviews! Your feedback and opinions are great!

SenpaiKohaiDanna:

Tobi-san, I promise to get the yaoi chapters up soon! ^^;; Until then, please be patient! X'D

fantasygirl1227:

Sorry about the short chapters ^^;; However, I can crank out updates a little faster that way. Though super long chapters will pop up every now and then... I hope you look forward to them!

Building 429:

Another new reviewer! It's always a pleasure meeting another Shotgun Guy fan! :3

ShotGun Gal:

Your enthusiam is much appreciated! Your reviews always cheer me up! lol

qwerty91:

Thanks for the kind reviews! (I think they're some of the most sane! Hahaha!) I'm enjoying putting in the Final Fantasy XIII characters... They certainly spice things up. ;p

Stella Nox Fleuret:

Your positive feedback is like food to a hungry man for me! TwT Thank you so much for reading my story!

Lightning and Noctis:

Yuki, whenever I see your reviews I feel honored that you're taking some of your time to read my stuff... You're the greatest.

Animangame02freak:

You're so busy with your own story that I'm more than grateful to see your reviews as well! Please stay with me! (And be strong Elia!!!! XD)

narutowolf:  
I'm super happy to know that you're enjoying _**Tsubomi**_! I'll do my best to make sure it stays consistant!

LittleOnionCake:  
Your love for the Shotgun Guy is strong, little bean! Your reviews alone could power an entire epic novel! lol

Whew... I'm done here for now. Next chapter, Snow will get down to business! So until then, please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Here it is: weekend update number 2! This one's just a bit longer than the other, so that should be satisfying ^^;; Ah, I also want to say that Snow's role in this story has gained it's own type of "arc"... Please bare with me as I say he's going to stir up maybe a little too much trouble... =w=;;

~Disclaimer~:

A partial Haiku

Telling Square-Enix that I

Don't own anything

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Ten~

Once Snow reached his destination, he hopped off of his vehicle and hastily decided to dismiss his aeons, of whom retreated back into the rune on his forearm.

"Good job, girls," he whispered, casually entering the front doors of the inn, keeping in check that the gun underneath his coat was kept undetected. He was also sure that his disposition was to remain carefree and innocent as well, his defenses cautious and brick-solid.

The front desk manager looked at Snow suspiciously, his beady eyes piercing into Snow's flesh like daggers. But Snow was easily let through without any problems as he grinned amiably and stated that he was a visitor for the guests on the third floor.

In other words, Noctis' group.

Climbing the staircase up, Snow reviewed his attack plan to make sure that it was nothing far from perfect.

'All I need to do is take out the Prince... But if anyone else interferes... well... I can go all out.'

That brought an impish smirk upon his face.

Going down the long hall to the last door on his right, Snow turned the knob to find that it had been left unlocked.

'Impudence!!' he scoffed, closing the door behind him with as little noise as possible. 'Have they got no sense of caution?! It's like they're just asking someone to barge right in and--Ah!'

Realizing that he wasn't the only presence in the room, Snow slowly walked over to the sleeping figure of Noctis in the farthest bed from the door and loomed over his still being.

'I see,' he contemplated deeply, taking note of the Prince's status with just a quick glance. 'Without the crystal's power to fuel him, Noctis' body is subjected to a great amount of strain and fatigue... And from the looks of it, he can only compensate to this by sleeping and reserving as much energy as he can. I used to think he was a powerhouse, but without that crystal, he's nothing but a pushover. It's quite a shame...'

Snow then pulled out his gun and began to load the barrel.

'I wanted you to at least put up some sort of a fight, but... I guess you can die peacefully in that eternal slumber of yours!'

And as Snow wrapped his finger around the trigger of his gun, the door behind him unexpectedly opened and he froze, his grasp around the clicker unfurling.

"Hey, Noctis," Vidal nonchalantly called, "I forgot my wallet and... **HEY**! **Who the hell're you**?!"

Picking up his own shotgun at the intruder, Vdal glowered at the sight of Snow about to attack his defenseless comrad.

"Put it down!" the blonde shot warningly. "Or else I'll shoot you before you can even blink!"

Snow chuckled. "What? You mean you're gonna use that _toy_ you're holding?"

"Sunova...!"

But in Vidal's split second distraction, Snow quickly grabbed Noctis' body and slung it over his shoulder, heading for the window.

"Oh, no you don't!" the blonde exclaimed, ready to rush forward.

"**Screw off**!" Snow sneered, firing a shot at Vidal.

It barely missed his eye and gave him a grazed temple instead, the rapid blow flow blinding his left eye. The whizzing bullet had also penetrated his delicate ear drum and his reaction time was now slightly delayed.

"Noctis!" he bellowed, cringing from his ringing ear.

Crashing through the solid glass, Snow free fell to the stone street below, his motorcycle appearing in a flash of instantanious blue light.

"Shit!" Vidal cussed, running to the broken window. "**NOCTIS**!!!"

* * *

~Chapter Ten Finis~

...This wasn't that much longer than chapter 9, was it? X'D Oh well. The double update makes up for it!!! We've reached a milestone in **_Tsubomi_**! Chapter 10! Wow... I thought it be over by now, but I guess this story is going to be a bit longer than I thought! TwT

As you can see, Snow is an assassin! I thought the role fit him well enough and decided to execute this game plan. I also wanted him, a skilled magic-user, to be able to explain Noctis' sleepy condition. (It wasn't just a ruse! It has significance!;p) The fatigue due to the crystal's destruction fit perfectly with what I had in mind, so I can freely write a little easier now...

Eh, Nothing much else to say... Please leave a review and tell me what you think...


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, I've made sure that this chapter would be more informative, so I went back and added more plot fillers in... Be grateful! X3 After doing more research and digging on Final Fantasy Versus XIII, I've had to change more future chapters! Things are going to get a lot more interesting from here on out, so please stay with me and enjoy!

~Disclaimer:~  
I don't own anything!!!

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Eleven~

The pub was stuffy, the air tainted with the strong stench of alcohol and fried meals. The two vagabonds entered with discretion, however, the garret was too spread out for them to go unnoticed.

"Why, if it isn't Ezio and Adelais!" Sazh bellowed merrily, taking a swig of his beer. "C'mere and sit down with me! There's no enemies here!"

Hesistant, they gave in and joined him. The pub tender took their orders and the two managed to slowly ease into the carefree atmosphere around them.

"So," Sazh began, sobering up, "I hear you two have been running about these days..."

Ezio took off his glasses and began to polish them with his sleeve. "Well, we **are** just vagabonds now."

"It's what we do," Adelais added plainly.

"'s that so? Well, I can't blame you for taking it easy... The current clearing of the cold war between our warring nations that revolves around those crystals is an ugly one. The high tensions are causing more and more outbreaks of violence and resistance. And in the end, I'm the one who has to give the orders," Sazh sighed heavily and rested his arms upon the pub counter.

Ezio placed his glasses back on his nose and recuffed his sleeve. "Hmph. I know that you're dodging the real question that you want to ask... So I suggest that you just come out and say it."

"Right," Sazh chuckled, his voice falling into a whisper. "Is it true that, and I've heard this from a reliable source, Prince Noctis of Tenebrea is among your group, travelling?"

Adelais stiffened.

Ezio sighed and nodded. "And what is this 'reliable source' of yours?"

Sazh smiled a bit. "C'mon, have you forgotten? I'm a military general, Ez! I have my own information network. I... was a little more than concerned about you two after you planned your escape from the army. So I had some of my men keep a close watch on you for some time. But I see that you've been well on your own without my help. By the way... how's that boy you picked up? Vidal, was it?"

"He's travelling with us," Adelais said, his body still tense.

"Good, good," Sazh nodded, staring into his empty mug. "But... does he know that you two are the ones who killed his parents?"

Adelais' eyes grew furious, but before he could shout, Ezio put up a hand to stop him and calmly asserted, "Yes. It wouldn't be right to keep the boy from the truth now, is it? He understood and knows we mean well."

Sazh chuckled. "Men are not men on the battlefield... They turn into some other creature. Unfortunatly, that's what war does to people... even to good guys like you."

Silence enveloped around the three when a light chirping sounded from Sazh's hair.

Staring at him skeptically, a tiny chocobo chick fluttered from the military general's afro and landed lightly on the pub counter.

"Ah, hello, little one!" Sazh beamed, as if greeting his own child. "Hungry are we?"

The chick chirped happily.

"S-Sazh," Ezio coughed awkwardly, "is that...?"

He grinned. "Yeah, it's that chocobo egg I picked up back in the day... the poor thing's a runt, as it turns out, but he's still quite lively! He's a loyal companion as well!"

As Sazh cooed the little chocobo, Ezio looked to Adelais for some sort of reaction, but the scarred man's face was deep in contemplation, a glint of anger in his eyes.

'Ezio... why did you lie?'

* * *

~Chapter Eleven Finis~

I'm sorry for not updating in almost two weeks... I HAD MY SPANISH ORAL EXAM! I was studying and doing homework like a workaholic these past days! But it all payed off 'cause I got a PERFECT score!! (dances)

(sighs) But it looks like things are getting tense between Ezio and Adelais... I wonder what'll happen to our little group of 4, hmm? X'3

All right, so thanks so much for being patient and sticking with me, everyone! Next chapter, Vidal will go rescue Noctis from the evil Snow! Yay...!

**IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!**

The first alternate yaoi chapter for Tsubomi is UP!! Please go check the link on my profile under the header "_**Alternate Yaoi Chapters For Final Fantasy Versus XIII Tsubomi**_"! Hope you enjoy!!


	12. Chapter 12

YAY FOR HIGHER GRADES!! I've been working my tail off these past couple of weeks, so to congratulate myself... I will update! (By the way... Is it Sazh or Satzu? I keep hearing both so I'm not sure if they're both correct or one is wrong...)

~Disclaimer:~

I own nothing. Nothing at all... Maybe except for the plot. That's all I have going for me...! X'D

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twelve~

Vidal watched from the inn room window in helplessness as the kidnapper rode of with Noctis' limp body. Turning away from the broken pane, the blonde stumbled backward in throe as the deep gash above his brow throbbed painfully. The blood seeping through his fingers was sluggish; the wound wasn't as serious as it felt. Preparing to head out, Vidal was suddenly stopped by the front desk manager, who was now at the doorway, breathless, and horrified at the sight of blood.

"Wh-_what happened_?! Are you alright?! I heard a gunshot!" he frantically sputtered.

Vidal laughed nervously, all the while walking fast past the shooken man. "Ah, um, I'm sorry! We'll pay for whatever repairs you need later!"

"H-hey!" the man yelled after him, falling into a silent slump.

The blonde burst out of the inn doors and began his mad sprint down the streets of Rabanastre. He ignored the fact that the other pedestrians were disturbed by his half-crimson stained face and pumped his legs faster, the faint roaring sound of the motorcycle in the close distance.

"Shit," he cussed, his sweat stinging his open wound, "at this rate I'll tire down before I can even reach them! Ah...!"

Vidal then spotted a ladder that climped up to the flat rooftops of the various lined shops. Grabbing at the cement bars, he scaled the wall frantically, crawling back onto his feet as he made his way across the top of the buildings, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. As he cut corners and sprinted diagonals, Noctis and the abductor finally fell behind him, allowing Vidal to plan his counterattack.

'They're heading towards the forest,' he pondered, holding his position steady at the edge of the last buidling rooftop, just near the ouskirts of town, and beside the entrance to a thick series of trees and brush. 'So when the time comes, I'll have only one chance to leap down and take that bastard out...'

On cue, the motorcycle was zooming down the end of the solid street, aiming for the forest.

Gulping, Vidal braced himself. 'Three... two... ONE!'

He then threw himself off of the edge and immediately free fell downward, his precise timing perfect as he landed atop the kidnapper and struggled for dominance of the motorcycle.

"Dammit!" Snow cussed, Vidal giving him a well-aimed punch to the jaw. "_You little sonuva_...!"

And as they quarreled violently, the motorcycle lost its balance as it rushed through the bumpy forest floor and toppled over to its side, Vidal, Snow, and Noctis flying off.

The rough landing awoke the Prince with a start, rubbing the back of his aching head and adjusting his disoriented eyes. "Where...?"

Looking forward, Noctis saw a bloody Vidal wrestling with a furious Snow, both of them spouting curse words and taunts left and right.

"Tell me what you want!" Vidal growled, swinging a fist and missing.

"I'm not telling you shit!" Snow snapped, throwing a kick.

By now, Noctis was adapted to his situation and stepped in. "**Enough**."

At the sight of a conscious Prince, Vidal calmed himself and sighed in relief, Snow, on the other hand, chuckling rather darkly.

"My, my," he sneered. "His Highness finally decides to join us..."

"Snow Villiers," Noctis said, his usual monotone taking over. "You work strictly as an underground assassin, popular for your high succession rates and quick clean up. I'm guessing that you've been sent by someone quite powerful to exterminate me."

Snow smirked. "That's right... I'm honored that you know so much about me!"

He then unwarningly whipped out his hidden gun and aimed it at Noctis' forehead.

"**Too bad I have to blow your head off**!"

* * *

~Chapter Twelve Finis~

I must be a record holder for short chapters...(sigh) I promise that the written drafts always look twice as long! (And I don't write very big either! X'D)

Looking at it now, I think there are some mistakes in this chapter... Snow is known as a martial artist yet he couldn't shake off Vidal... And why Vidal wasn't hunted down by the police for running around as a bloodied mad man I don't know. X'3 (Shh..! Let's just ignore all of this!) But the scene where our Shotgun Guy is running across the rooftops is actually something I've been wanting to do... so I'm more than glad that I could fit it in!

Wow... I have over ONE-HUNDRED reviews... (sniffle) I'm honored. Really. Next time around, I'll do a special thanks.


	13. Chapter 13

Ah... The weekend ends! T^T I had been looking forward to it after that long, painful week... But alas, another week begins.... And _still_ no signs of new info on FFVSXIII...T^T Though I have watched some videos on the FFXIII demo... THEY ARE SOME OF THE MOST GREATEST THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN VIDEOGAME HISTORY. I've also gotten my deviantart up and running, so please take a look if you want! (The link is posted on my profile page! ;3)

~Disclaimer:~

Another Haiku

To put forth a disclaimer

So I own nothing

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Thirteen~

After spending a little more time together at the pub, Sazh, Adelais, and Ezio finally decided to part ways.

"Take care," Sazh nodded, shaking the vagabonds' hands. "Even though we're not on the same side anymore, you two are still my comrades."

Adelais returned a smile while Ezio arrogantly scoffed.

"The day where you start getting soft," he started, "chocobos will truly take to the skies and fly."

Sazh laughed. "I wouldn't be shocked if it happened soon."

Waving them off, a cab pulled up for him, along the cobblestone street, and took him away.

Heading down the back ally, Adelais couldn't help but spout, "Maybe... Maybe we **should** tell Vidal the truth."

Ezio proceeded on, clearly listening but unresponsive.

Adelais sighed. "It's shameful."

Ezio then stopped in his tracks and turned to his scarred partner. "He'll know the truth when he asks for it. But until then, let him go as he is. Besides... The kid is better off being ignorant."

~...~

As Snow pulled the trigger, the bullet missed Noctis by a mile, an unknown force causing it to high-tail in another direction. Peeved, Snow fired a couple more rounds but to the same result--no avail.

Amazed by Noctis' peculiar ability, Vidal almost forgot the predicament he was in and quickly snapped himself out of it. Using all of his body weight to tackle Snow from the side, the gun, in mid-shot, was redirected towards the blonde, causing the bullet to hit Vidal square in the shoulder, ripping right through his muscle tissue.

Crying out in pain, the blonde collapsed aside, Snow scrambling to his feet to get ahold of his weapon.

"_You little bastard_!" Snow growled, pointing the barrel at Vidal's head. "I'll put you out of your..."

But before he could even finish his sentence, Noctis was already right under Snow's nose, his leg meeting Snow's gaping maw for a robust direct hit.

As he flailed to the ground, Snow winced at his slightly cracked jaw and spat out the blood from his half bitten tongue. 'Dammit... I can't take them both on in the state I'm in now! I'm still too fatigued from summoning the Shiva Sisters! I'm going to have to retreat for now and plan out another attack...!'

Picking himself up and rushing into the thick brush, Noctis sighed and turned to his injured partner.

"I'm... fine," Vidal huffed, a tad dizzy from the loss of blood. "We need to go after that guy and find out who it is that sent him after you!"

The Prince shook his head. "No. Your wounds are a more important matter. Your condition will only worsen if we don't take immediate action."

"Tch! Don't patronize me!!" Vidal snapped, starting off toward the direction that Snow vanished off to.

"Vidal!" Noctis exclaimed, following after.

* * *

~Chaper Thirteen Finis~

This _**would**_ be much longer if my computer wasn't so traitorous... It deleted the original which had about one more page worth of story! Grr... =x=

Anywho, I welcome you to the 13th installment... And this time around I want to give a big round of applause to the many wonderful reviewers!! Thanks to you, _**Tsubomi**_ has reached over 100 reviews! I'm so grateful to each and every one of you, so here's my special thanks to:

~Lonely Moon Luna Sola

~qwerty91

~Animangame02freak

~Stella Nox Fleuret

~fantasygirl1227

~Lemonizer

~ShotGun Gal

~Nipah

~Gasp-x

~SunflowerWielder

~SenpaiKohaiDanna

~Building429

~LittleOnionCake

~.Angel

~Somnus Nomoris

~licrois

~Cassandra V.E.E.

~lonewolf32

~MakoRangers

AND THE REST OF THE INVISIBLE READERS, TOO! ;p

Next time is the end of the Snow Villiers arc! What will happen to him? And what will become of our little group of 4? And... (gasp) _**THE RETURN OF STELLA**_!?

Haha, I hope you all look forward to it, so please keep reading and reviewing to find out!


	14. Chapter 14

Ugh, another birthday of mine goes by, signifying yet _another_ year past of my life lived on this troublesome earth! Man, it would only be so much better if FFVSXIII came out already, dammit!!

~Disclaimer:~

Everything belongs to Square-Enix!

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Fourteen~

Snow leaned against the rocky wall beside him, catching his lost breath. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked down at the far drop beside him, careful not to lose his footing.

"Who could've known," he uttered to himslef, "that there was such a canyon this grandiose beyond the thick forest..."

Finished with admiring the scenery, Snow pressed on, a soft rumbling causing the ground below him to quiver.

"Great," he clicked his tongue, "now I'll have to worry about rock slides as well..."

Small debris were steadily falling at an angle, but no significant pieces were large enough to cause harm nor a life threatening danger. Snow was safe as long as no large commotions or noises were made...

"**THERE YOU ARE**!" screamed out the voice of Vidal.

"_God dammit_!" Snow hissed, looking back over his shoulder. "He's going to get us all killed!"

The blonde, followed by Noctis' footsteps, were growing increasingly rapid and near, effecting a sense of pure panic from Snow. There was no way he would allow himself to get caught... Never in his entire career had he been captured! And that lucky streak wasn't about to end today! Pumping his legs harder, Snow made a desperate run through the canyon, the quaking growing more violent as Vidal's voice continuously called out to him and the footsteps became more and more frantic.

"Stop!" Vidal bellowed warningly.

"**GET THE HELL AWAY**!" Snow finally retorted, his mind crazed and utmost distracted, failing to sense the large boulder aiming down towards his head.

It was a spilt second reflex, but in order to avoid any serious injuries, Snow threw himself off of the ledge, the boulder flying off at a higher altitude, completely missing him. But as Snow began to plummet down below, the look of pure unexpected shock and fear in his eyes triggored a memory reflex within Vidal, causing him to reach out and grasp Snow's jacket sleeve.

Both speachless, the blonde struggled to hold onto the assassin.

"Wh-Why?" Snow stammered. "I tried to kill you!"

Vidal struggled to find words, his heart racing. "I..."

Just then, his footing began to slip as he was being pulled down by Snow's body weight, Noctis quickly grabbing onto the blonde's torso in attempt to hault their decline.

"Let go, fool!" Snow snapped.

"No!" Vidal exclaimed, defiant. "I won't!"

Snow scowled. "I don't want your pity!"

"It has nothing to do with pity!!" Vidal shook his head. "I just... I won't be a murderer like you!"

With that, Snow guffawed loudly and looked at the blonde straight in the eye. "Hahaha! Didn't know you were trying to be the hero! I'm sorry, but..."

He then wrenched himself free from Vidal's hold.

"...This bastard is taking his one way ticket to hell."

"**SNOW**!!!" Vidal screamed, his hand still outstretched as he watched the assassin being swallowed whole by the darkness of the canyon's mouth, smirking all the while.

Staring idly down the mouth, Vidal stood on his hands and knees, stiff with disbelief.

'Why...?' he thought, clenching his fists. 'Why did he still choose death?!'

"Vidal," Noctis pat his shoulder, snapping him out of his contemplations, "there's nothing more we can do."

Delayed for a few moments from his repressed feelings, the blonde finaly managed a nod and followed Noctis out of the canyonside.

"He... was _smiling_. Even when Snow knew he was going to die, he was happy!" Vidal spouted meekly.

Noctis didn't respond.

"Was he some sort of mad man? Did he really have no common sense? Or..."

"Or better yet," Noctis interrupted, "if he did seem like such a terrible person, why did you reach for him?"

Vidal morosely looked to his feet and mumbled, "My parents... when they died during those awful war breakouts for the crystals, I could've done something! But... I was a **coward**. I let them down! What kind of son was I to just stand there and let them be** murdered**?! Snow, the look in his eyes... they were like those of my father before those soldiers..."

The blonde then fell silent, Noctis watching in sympathy as his partner dragged his feet along the dirt laden path, the blood on his face dry, his opposite arm applying pressure to the wound on the other. He looked like a defeated dog. However, Noctis didn't press on for more of an explination; the tone in Vidal's voice had been enough to pacify his curiosity.

"Then I'm sure," the Prince concluded, "Snow Villiers wasn't that bad of a man afterall."

~...~

When Ezio and Adelais returned to the inn room, a young nurse was tending to a bloody and moaning Vidal, a deep bullet hole in his shoulder, swelling and fresh, while Noctis and the front desk manager were patching up a broken window pane.

"**WHAT HAPPENED**?!" Adelais yelled, startling the nurse, who applied too much ointment on Vidal's wound, bringing about a sharp yelp from him.

"A-A-Adelais! Ezio!" Vidal managed to recover with a meek chuckle. "W-Welcom back! Eh-heh..."

Stern, Adelais stormed over to the blonde and shot, "Explain... **now**."

Sighing, Vidal was about to speak, but Noctis intervened and said, "It was my fault. He took the bullet meant for me from an assassin that encountered us today. I'll certainly have the debts be payed out from my wallet."

Ezio and Adelais looked to one another, then a straight-faced Noctis, and then a sheepish Vidal who nodded.

"It's true!"

Adjusting his glasses, Ezio turned away. "Well, as long as no harm was done..."

'Yeah,' Adelais frowned dramatically, 'no harm to your bank account.'

~...~

Stella was brushing her long, fair hair in her dorm, the lights off but no curtains to open on such a nice weathered day.

"I wish I had windows," she whispered under her breath, cringing at a knot. "It feels as if I'm barricaded..."

A soft knock then came to her door and she permitted entry.

"Excuse me, Miss Fleuret?" one of her servant maids squeaked.

"Yes?" she replied flatly, focusing on the motion of her brush.

"Well, I bring bad news... It seems that, well, we've lost all contact with Snow Villiers."

Stella dropped her brush. "What?! H-how could this have happened?!"

The maid bowed deeply, as if it were in her fault to do so, and closed her eyes with deep sentiment. "I'm very sorry, Miss. We've done everything, but there is no response--not from his cell phone, nor his tracker. Nothing."

Stella was silent.

Her ears had not just decieved her.

Snow was truly gone.

And it was her fault.

Slowly picking up her hair brush, Stella dismissed the servant and heaved a great sigh.

"Snow," she felt her lips quiver, her hands trembling under the sudden great weight of her hair brush, "I'm so sorry, my friend... _but you shall not go unavenged_! Prince Noctis... He will pay! Fate or not, we **shall** meet again... and he'll pay dearly for his inexcuseable transgressions!"

* * *

~Chapter Fourteen Finis~

Whoo, finally...! A LONG CHAPTER! The longest chapter in a long time! (pats own back)

SNOW IS DEAD?! Who knew! Who could've guessed! Actually, a lot of reviewers wanted him dead... But I wonder how you all feel about his absence now! (And please forgive me, Nipah and MakoRangers! I know how much you two loved Snow... Please have mercy on my soul!)

Ah, and Stella has reappeared! Her character is a little hard for me to portray... I guess she's kinda like a refined type with her own set of morals... Maybe. Eh, but I'm sure I'll be able to smooth out her personality once I get to write about her more. (Yes, that's right... Stella's going to be coming back!)

...

Noctis hardly talks anymore, does he? X'D

Well, that's all for now... Please review and I'll see you next time! (With another yaoi chapter up as well! Please stay tuned!)


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the late update... School has been a pain in the arse and I need to study for final exams (which are in less than TWO WEEKS! DX) Things might be slow from now on, but right after that, I promise some serious updates and longer chapters!

~Disclaimer:~

Final Fantasy Versus XIII I own not. The plot and extra names I do.

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Fifteen~

Vidal lay awake, eyes glazed over and restless. Getting up, he grabbed his shotgun and and made his way out into the midnight streets of Rabanastre. Upon walking out, however, a hand grasped his unwounded shoulder and the blonde turned to see a slightly smiling Noctis.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

Vidal sighed. "Not a wink. Wanna join me?"

"Sure."

The two walked for some time, passing by every closed shop, the only lights coming from the late night pubs around every other corner. They finally stopped at the large, intricate fountain center piece at the main plaza and sat down for a break.

"Even though cities and towns are stifiling," Vidal commented, "this one isn't so bad. Well, at night it isn't."

Noctis didn't respond.

"Where I'm from, there were flowers and greenery _everywhere_; it was a quaint little place, where everyone knew eachother and the roads like the backs of their hands... But then the army came in and burned it all down."

"For the crystals?" Noctis rose a brow in speculation.

Vidal's lips formed a taut, straight line. "Partially. You see, in the country where my hometown used to be, weapons distributed among civilians was prohibited. But like every prohibition, there are those who refuse to follow their consequences. It's funny, now that I think about it... To guess that on that very same day the army bombarded my town, I had gone off to smuggle weapons for a future rebellion against the higher councils. And one of those weapons was _this_ one... the shotgun I carry as a testament to my mistakes... What a fool I was. By the time the news spread of the army's attack and I managed to return, everything was in shambles, and there was corpses and blood everywhere. My parents were some of the last people left, but when it came to protecting them, well, I was a hesitant coward."

"And how did you escape?" Noctis interrupted.

"I ran," Vidal answered lowly. "I ran until my legs gave out. And even when I could hardly stand up anymore, I still pressed on, pain being my motivation. I then became a wandering thief for sometime to keep myself alive... And that's when I met Ezio and Adelais."

Noctis gave a laugh. "They must've helped you out of some serious trouble."

Vidal made an appalled face and blushed. "...! W-Well, maybe. Anyway, I did the one thing I always regret to this day..."

Noctis listened.

"I tried to steal **their car**," the blonde sighed. "Boy, oh, boy... I got the beat-down of my life! Adelais had me in the strongest head-lock and Ezio with his gun pointed to my head...!"

"Looks like you deserved it."

"Ugh, **anyway**... they heard me out after that, and finally, in the blink of an eye, took me in and allowed me to travel with them. It was the nicest thing someone had ever done for me in a long time."

Noctis stared at the smiling blonde. "Not too different from how they let me join up too. I wonder what their backstory is...?"

Vidal shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Those two are like family to me. They're all I've got, and if it ever came to it, I would gladly put my life on the line for them. No lie."

"..." the Prince said nothing and stood up, stretching his tired bones.

"We should head back," Vidal suggested, getting to his feet as well, "or else I might get scolded again. Oh, by the way, thanks for backing me up this afternoon, Noct. You really saved my hide!"

"'Noct'?"

The blonde grinned from ear to ear. "Like it? It's your new nickname!"

The Prince sighed and gave an unsatisfied glance. Vidal just laughed it off and started his way though the empty streets.

* * *

~Chapter Fifteen Finis~

Yay for characterization! :D

I don't have many notes to put here, however, I'm happy to have been able to put the "fugitive" part of the Shotgun Guy's apparent backstory and Noctis' humorous nickname of "Noct".

Again, like I mentioned beforehand, I have exams coming so Tsubomi will be put on hold until further notice. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hope to see you next time! (With some yaoi updates as well!!)


	16. Chapter 16

Whew! Exams are _finally_ over! And now for the promised and delayed next chapter of _**Tsubomi**_! Please enjoy...!

~Disclaimer:~

I don't own anything regarding Final Fantasy...!

* * *

Make nai kujike nai.

Dekinai koto wa nanimo nai.

Nandomo ii kikasetanda...

"Make nai kujike nai.

Dekinai koto wa nanimo nai."

__

I won't give up, I won't give in.

There's nothing I can't do.

I told myself that again and again...

"I won't give up, I won't give in.

There's nothing I can't do."

****

Tsubomi

~Chapter Sixteen~

"You sure you don't need more R&R time?" Ezio raised a brow.

Vidal grinned from ear to ear and tapped his shotgun against his shoulder. "Not to worry! This wound will go away in no time! Why, it's practically all healed up by now!"

The blonde then turned to Adelais and added a chipper, "Right?"

The scarred man nodded awkwardly and turned away, fingering his scar all the while. 'He's right... Physical wounds are nothing... It's the emotional ones I'm worried about."

~...~

Dawn come, the group of four bid Rabanastre goodbye and headed to their car, starting back on the road for a solid trip with no pitstops.

"So... let me get this straight," Vidal began. "There's absolutely **no** towns or cities for the next **200** miles?!"

Adelais nodded while Ezio remained focused on the scenery ahead of them. "That's right. Just tar and dust."

The blonde groaned and slumped back in the rear seat, pouting like a child. "You've got to be kidding! What am I supposed to do until we reach civilization again?!"

"Nothing," Ezio shot. "Infact, why don't you work on keeping your yap shut until then?"

Vidal grumbled a soft curse and looked to Noctis, who was sleeping as usual. He tried to close his own eyes and catch a few winks, but the fact that his patience was running thin made him even more restless.

'This is going to be a long day..." he thought, irritated.

Noctis' eyes then suddenly flung open.

"Wh-what is it?" Vidal asked, slightly startled.

Ignoring the blonde for a moment, Noctis poked his head in between the two front seats and asked, "Does this car model have a retractable roof?"

"Why do you ask?" Ezio raised a brow.

Staring straight forward, Noctis glared at a group of figures in the distance. "We've got some company."

Ezio exhaled and pulled back a lever to his left, the roof of the car sliding back automatically. Standing up, Noctis lifted himself to the top of the vehicle and remained perfectly balanced while crouching down on the thin sides, the car still in a normal pace of over 60 mph.

"Who's down there?" Vidal pestered. "Who are those guys? Assassins?"

"Most likely," Adelais scowled.

"Vidal," Noctis called.

The blonde looked to him.

"When I give you the signal, back me up with your gun."

"Got it," Vidal nodded, loading his weapon with more shells.

As the distance drew closer, the figures grew more definate in scale as well. It was also clear that everyone of them was armed with an impressive array of weapons of high caliber, very similar to those Vidal and the others had seen back at Tenebrae.

As soon as the car was in their range, the figures fired some of their largest artillery first, three large missiles making their way towards right towards it.

"Heads up!" Ezio exclaimed, clenching the steering wheel a little tighter.

Noctis quickly reacted and focused enough magical force within the core of his body, watching carefully as the missiles drew closer and closer... And when they were just a split second away from impact, the Prince unleashed his stored up energy and pushed the gravity around him slightly, the missiles veering away completely and dive-bombing in opposite directions.

Seeing that their long range tactics would be futile, the figures in the distance then began head-on pursuit and pointed their numerous rifles threateningly.

"Vidal!" Noctis bellowed, counting the number of heads as fast as he could. "How many bullets does your shotgun release when fired?"

"About six or seven per round!" the blonde said, poking his head through the open roof.

"Shoot five rounds! Hurry!"

Without another word, Vidal pulled the triggor on his gun repetitively to keep up the consistency of the bullets. Similar shots could be heard in the distance in retaliation.

Noctis, once again, used his peculiar ability to manipulate the bullets, increasing their speed and accuracy, all the while blocking off the ones that were being returned by the opposide side. Noctis' signature barrier, however, was lacking efficiency as the spray of bullets slowly managed to penetrate through the wall, one-by-one, leaving significant dents. One bullet even managed to crack through the top of the front wind-shield window.

"Wrap it up, up there!" Ezio snapped, swearing as he pulled out his pistol for safety precautions.

"There's only ten more left!" Vidal replied, emptying the smoking shells from his gun barrel.

Noctis exhaled and wiped the sweat from his brow, still breathing rather heavily. "I've got the rest under contol. Ezio! Stop the car!"

"Thought you'd never ask!" the bespeckled man retorted, hitting he breaks and allowing the vehicle come to a smooth stop.

Noctis then leapt from his post and swiftly tackled one of the assassins to the ground, back flipping just in time to avoid a round of bullets and taking out another two. In no time, the Prince had each and everyone of the assassins knocked out and rendered defenseless.

"Hey!" Vidal ran over. "You think we can interrogate these fools in order to find out who sent them?"

"Vidal..."

"Bastards! They'll pay dearly for doing all of this to us! When I learn who's done this, I'm gonna give him a piece of my..."

"**Vidal**," Noctis raised his voice slightly. "There's no need."

"Huh?" the blonde spouted stupidly.

"I already know their sender," Noctis half-heartedly explained, his usual fatigue creeping up on him. "It's been the same person ever since I could remember... The one who has wanted me dead and out of the way since the beginning... My _god father_."

"What?! But that's...!"

But before Noctis could say or percieve anymore, his mind blacked out...

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUUN! Cliffhanger of death!

Wow... pretty good length. I'm satisfied. (nods)

And I bet you all could've guessed that it was Noctis' bastard of a god father who was the troublemaker, right? X'D Right!

(sighs)

Summer vacation has officially started! Blue seas! Blue skies! More updates! (And more alternate yaoi chapters! Promise!)

So...

Please stay tuned! And REVIEW!


	17. Chapter 17

A short update this week since the heat is killing me... (And I can't seem to sort out the ideas in my head properly :T) I recently bought a Playstation Magazine--with **Lightning** on the cover!! (squee!) I need to hang it in a frame... =/////= (My motivation device!!)

~Disclaimer:~

I own nothing Square-Enix related!

* * *

__

**Tsubomi**

~Chapter Seventeen~

In his subconscious, Noctis felt a warm light flood his body, easing his weariness and taking away all feelings of pain. He, for the first time, felt serene and at peace, like nothing could shatter his perfect disposition. He then saw a vision, a familiar rotating entity hovering over its respective pedestal, glowing a faint blue that reflected off of the marble floors... Yes... the crystal...

"Noctis!"

He awoke.

Vidal was staring down at him concern etched into his light-brown eyes.

"How is he?" Ezion spouted from the front seat.

"I'm... all right," the Prince assured, rubbing his temples.

Vidal said nothing, his eyes wide.

Noctis stared back at him. "Really. I am fine."

"That's... not it."

"?" Noctis rose a brow.

Vidal gestured him to look into the rear view mirror from where he sat.

"_Ah_..."

Noctis dramatically frowned.

His usual azure colored orbs were now a shade of intense gold...

"What does it mean?" Vidal asked, perplexed.

The Prince's expression deepened. "The crystal... it's _alive_."

* * *

~Chapter Seventeen Finis~

PLOT TWISTER! The crystal is back, and Noctis has regained some more of his magical properties... I've been wanting to show what I think the different eye colors meant for Noctis, and the amount of power his crystal holds just fit nicely with what I had in mind for this fic. :3 Now that I think of it... because of this revelation... Our group of four may have to disband soon...!! OoO

Well, next time, for sure, the group will definately arrive at their destination, and the title behind this fic will be revealed!

So please review if you want to know....!

**Important Notice!!**

I have updated a 2nd alternate yaoi chapter for _**Tsubomi**_!! The link is posted on my info page under the Header "_**Alternate Yaoi Chapters For Final Fantasy Versus XIII Tsubomi**"!_ Sorry it's taken so long... ^^;;


	18. Chapter 18

Erm... I apologize for that really short chapter last time... (**bows many times**) Man, you reviewers are scary... I love you all so much for wanting more, but yeah... I made sure that this one would be long. And I mean, REALLY long. So... Please enjoy. O_O;;

~Disclaimer:~

I own nothing! And Luna belongs to Yuki! Thanks for letting me borrow her! ^^

* * *

**_Tsubomi  
_**

~Chapter Eighteen~

_The crystal... It's **alive**._

Vidal sighed and continued to look out of the window beside him, the dreary darkness blowing past like swimming shadows.

'But if the crystal's back,' the blonde frowned, 'that means that Noctis is going to have to return to Tenebrae... No doubt.'

"But I don't... want that."

"Hm?" Adelais peered back at him. "Did you say something, Vidal?"

The blonde shook his head.

A journey without Noctis... It was hard to imagine such a thing. The black-haired enigma hadn't even been travelling with him for very long, and yet, he felt like a significant part of Vidal's life already. He was... his friend.

Biting his lip, the blonde furrowed his brow and tightly gripped his shotgun. 'Dammit...'

~...~

The size of the city of Arcadia was unmeasureable. The towering buildings touched the skies and gleemed powerfully in the afternoon sun, all the while giant airships docked in and gave way to tourism and trade. People moved in crowds and pairs, bustling, screaming, and laughing. At the heart of the city, a wide and sleek looking complex stood out from the others, a large, authoritive plaque stretching across, reading, "CAELUM COMPANY".

The four vagabonds had parked their car on a summit overlooking the city landscape. It was a remarkable view that certainly took their breath away...

"So we've finally made it," Ezio breathed, wiping his glasses off with his sleeve.

"Haven't been to Arcadia in years," Adelais smiled slightly, taking in his surroundings.

Noctis stared hard at the Caelum Company building, his golden eyes flaring. "..."

Noticing his serious mug, Vidal smirked and threw his arm around the Prince's neck, bringing him into a tight headlock. "Nothing we can't handle!"

Noctis blinked, rather taken aback. "Er..."

Adelais chuckled and decided to give Vidal his own headlock. "Cocky little snot!"

As the two of them struggled, the Prince couldn't help but notice Ezio's unusual oblivious disposition and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Peachy," he replied instantaniously.

"Hey," Adelais turned to the two, Vidal still struggling under his hold, "before we head towards the Caelum Company buliding, let's do some looking around. This may be the last time we get any leisurely opportunities."

"Hunh. Sounds good to me," Ezio turned on his heel, starting off on his own.

Noctis just watched as he strided away. 'What's... up with him?'

~...~

Parting from the others for a bit, Vidal decided to get his trusty shotgun some new parts when something white stood out from the corner of his eye, causing him to crane his neck sideways.

And there she was. A little girl in a pure white sundress, sitting behind a shack of a stand, her long silver hair blowing in an invisible wind. The sign beside her read "LUNA'S FORTUNES AND TAROT", though no one seemed to want to give it a try...

"Excuse me," Vidal approached her, "you're a fortune teller?"

The girl's lips curved slightly. "Of sorts. Would you like me to give you your fortune?"

"I guess. Why not?" he then began to pull out his wallet. "How much will it cost?"

"No need," the girl, Luna, shook her head. "This one's on me. You're the first person in a long while to visit..."

"Okay..." the blonde sheepishly scratched his head, squatting a bit to be able to get face-to-face with the small girl.

She then closed her eyes and placed her hand on top of his, focusing the spiritual energy within.

Vidal couldn't help but blush a bit.

"I see... Vidal," she whispered, "a young man who was forced from his home and thrust into the real world--the cruel world of harsh realities. Yet you are still ignorant of many truths..."

The blonde gasped. 'This girl... she's _really_ good!'

"Thank you," she giggled, eyes still shut. "But this truth that I mentioned may not come to you in the way you want it to... However, would you still like to proceed?"

Vidal nervously nodded.

"Very well," Luna then opened her eyes and placed her forefinger on Vidal's forehead. "I will show you."

~...~

Vidal was experiencing that dream again... that realistic dream from his past. His home was being raided, the soldiers were all armed and dangerous... He had to get his parents out of there.

"Mom!!" he cried, barging through the front door. "Dad!!"

But they did not respond, two figures intimidatingly standing before them with their weapons ready.

"Gh..!" the blonde took a step backward, fear etched into his face, tears stinging his eyes. "**NO**!!!"

And as his parents were shot, their bodies fell dead to the floor in a puddle of expanding blood.

Vidal screamed out in panic, his legs refusing to move.

The two soliders turned around, sympathy etched into their features, as well as fatigue.

One, wore glasses, the other a scar over his left eye...

And then, in that moment of silence, the blonde managed to flee.

_~...~_

Gasping out, Vidal recoiled from Luna's touch and fell on his seat, sweating profoundly.

"What was...?!" he panted, wide-eyed.

She looked to him with no emotion and uttered. "You saw the truth."

"Vidal!"

The blonde jumped and scrambled to his feet, Noctis running over to him.

"Noct," he said under his breath, wiping his shining brow.

"What happened?" the Prince inqiried.

"This girl here, she..."

But as Vidal went to point out the silver-haired Luna, she was nowhere to be seen.

"HUH?!" he exclaimed, baffled. "But there was a girl just here, and...!!"

He fell silent.

"?" Noctis stared at him with concern.

"Tch," the blonde clicked his tongue. "Nevermind. Er, where's Ezio and Adelais?"

"They're getting some drinks," the Prince informed. "We should wait for them."

"Yeah..." the blonde nodded, his heartbeat picking up speed again.

'That vision... It couldn't have been real! I mean, Ezio and Adelais... they couldn't have been the murderers of my parents... They just couldn't!'

"Vidal, look," Noctis suddenly interrupted his contemplations, pointing to a small crevace.

There, a small plant was feebly poking its bud out towards the sun, struggling to breathe in a jungle of steel and concrete...

"Tsubomi," Vidal whispered softly.

"'Tsubomi'?" Noctis repeated skeptically.

The blonde smiled sadly a bit. "The lone budding flower with no chances at life. It was born just to die... That's how my mom used to describe it anyway."

"I see," the Prince observed it carefully. "Your mother seemed like an intelligent woman."

"She was," Vidal blushed sheepishly, grinning. "And she would never hesitate to throw a frying pan at me either!"

Noctis laughed.

"Hey, you two!" Adelais called, waving a can of soda from afar. "C'mon before they get hot!"

Hesitating slightly, Vidal finally shook away his doubtful feelings and marched on. 'No... I refuse to believe what I saw. I owe these guys so much--they saved me! It's shameful to think of such things. They're like the only family I have left... And I need to treasure that.'

~...~

"Mr. Caelum, Sir," an attendant slipped through his office door.

"Yes?" Alaricus shot, his desk chair turned out towards the giant window overlooking the city.

The attendant cleared his throat. "Your god son, he's here in Arcadia."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Sir. He's also accompanied with three others--vagabonds--apparently."

Alaricus swiveled in his seat, facing the attendant with a sly smirk. "Very good. We'll have to make sure to properly greet them; they have come a long way. Gadot!"

"Yes, Sir?" the man, Gadot, stood a little straighter.

"Arrange something. The Caelum Company will hold a grand party for the arrival of my precious god son and his comrades."

"Right away, Sir!"

"Oh," Alaricus added, "and be sure to invite all of the company's representitives and friends. I want this to be formal engagement."

Gadot nodded and headed out, Alaricus's lips only curling more devilishly as his devious chuckles deepened.

* * *

~Chapter Eighteen Finis~

There! Nice and long! (And in time for the fireworks! ^^ Yaay July 4th!)

Yuki, I give you one more thanks and any apologies towards the mistakes I might've placed in Luna's charcater... She's very adorable and mysterious! To anyone who wants to learn more, please check out Lonely Moon Luna Sola's page!

Tsubomi has finally earned its credible title with Vidal's short and sweet explination, huh? Now that I think of it... it's a rather sad title, isn't it? _The lone budding flower with no chances at life. It was born just to die... _(sniffle) I think it fits Noctis' character however. His being born into a lesser family, of which all perished when he was young, and then being placed in a situation where he could die at any moment... Beautiful. He certainly is the tragic hero (I hope this isn't spoiling anything...)

And finally, Gadot!! I'm so sorry for making you a lacky! But I was feeling uncreative so you had to be sacrificed... TwT Forgive me...!

That's all for this week, folks. But next week, the infamous Stella RETURNS! For good, almost, seeing as she'll be coming in more and more now that the climax is approaching. (So sad, right?! Tsubomi has come far...!)

With that in mind, please review! (And I promise never to have an update be only 2 paragraphs long ever again! ;o;)


	19. Chapter 19

After a short absence from the FF world, I have returned!! And with an update, nevertheless! I was kinda inspired from reading some really good fics out there and watching the 6th Harry Potter movie... I then said to myself "I want to be able to leave an impact on people with my story too!"

~Disclaimer:~

I own not a thing--not Noctis or the gorgeous black suit that he wears! TAT

* * *

**_Tsubomi_**

~Chapter Nineteen~

"We're **what**?!"

Noctis looked to the gaping blonde and repeated, "We've all been invited to a large party that my god father will be holding at the company building in honor of my safe return."

Ezio chuckled. "Henh. After all of that touble he went through to try and get rid of you, he's trying to make up for it with some kind of fancy get together? Tch. These rich people..."

Vidal scratched the back of his neck. "Erm, well, if Noct is okay with this then I have no objections. But..."

He then looked down at his battered and worn clothes and sweatdropped. "I don't think I'll fit in exactly..."

Noctis smiled a bit. "I think sometimes you forget, Vidal. I'm a **prince**, remember? Money is no large task for me."

~...~

Vidal smiled to himself in the large mirror stationed at the front of the tailor shop, admiring the sleek shine of his new leather shoes and dashing dark brown suit.

'Wow,' he thought, beaming. 'Even a new gettup can make a commoner like me look like one million gil!'

"Not too bad," Noctis pat Vidal on the shoulder, smirking slightly.

"Haha, thanks," the blonde sheepishly blushed, turning away from the mirror.

He then took a good look at Noctis' outfit and felt a tinge of jealousy hit his ego. The Prince's all black attire looked completely natural on him, as if he were just made for them. However...

"Ah," Vidal spouted, noticing that Noctis' collar was inside out. "Hold on."

Noctis stared as the blonde fixed his shirt and mumbled, "...I could've done it myself..."

Vidal chuckled. "Well if it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have even noticed in the first place!"

"Hey, you two!" Adelais called from outside, leaning against the car. "Let's get going! The party will start in any moment!"

~...~

Upon reaching the large building complex, Noctis and the gang were greeted by hordes of people and servants, all of them smiling and bowing, showing their respect and gratitude. At the top of the stairs, Alaricus loomed over the four, a fake smile plastered on his lips.

"Ah, welcome, welcome! So glad you could join us today, young Noctis and friends! I trust you didn't have too much trouble getting here, eh?"

Vidal clenched his fists and wanted to give the businessman a piece of his mind, but Adelais held him back with a hand. Ezio gave him a stern look.

"Glad we could be invited, god father," Noctis slightly bowed, dispostion composed and cool as always.

Alaricus nodded and began to lead them inside, greeting other aquaintances along the way. "It's been a long time, Noctis, and I have several people that I want you to meet. But before that, why don't you all just have a good time and eat some of the delicious foods that I've had imported from all around the globe?"

Breaking away from the group and attending to some other guests, Vidal, Ezio, Adelais, and Noctis looked to eachother speechlessly.

"This doesn't feel right," Vidal muttered. "He's planning something for us."

Ezio sighed and look at the large food layout before them. "Well, I don't think he'd go about _poisoning_ everyone here..."

"And I don't detect any _assassins_ or _snipers_ among this large of a group," Adelais added with a coy smile.

Noctis couldn't disagree either.

Vidal sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. I guess I'll stop being a worrywart now. Let's just have some fun then!"

~...~

It was later during the night that Noctis departed from the downstairs party to get some air upstairs on the balcony. No one was around and the peaceful solitude helped calm his buzzing mind. Taking a long, deep breath, the Prince walked around for a bit, curious of how big the skywalk acually was...

And that's when he bumped into an elegant figure.

"Oh," he spouted, taken aback by the fact that he hadn't noticed her presence prior to this. "Excuse me."

The woman slowly turned around, her waist-length blond hair blowing gently in the breeze in coincide to her white gown. "Oh, don't mind me. I was just star gazing."

"..." Noctis just stared, rather captivated by her beauty.

"You're Prince Noctis, aren't you?" the blond woman smiled, folding her arms behind her back. "I'm Stella Nox Fleuret..."

"Stella," Noctis repeated, a sudden lightbulb going off in his head. "Ah, I remember you... You came to my parents' funeral. You're family is of a higher class, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes. I'm glad you remember me! That makes this easier..."

"?" Noctis raised a brow as Stella grabbed his arm and started to lead him towards the hall near the staircase.

"Come with me," she said, "there's something that I want to show you."

And infront of the stairs, a large and ominous painting towered over Stella and Noctis, an almost alarming sense of power emitting from its canvas.

"You can also see the Light, can't you? I too feel as if I've recieved that power," the blond woman getsured to the work of art. "The grand power that is passed down to those who wield the crystals' power..."

Noctis furrowed his brow. "It's best not to talk about such things."

Stella's lips curled pleasantly. "Is it? Occasionally, the Light will be seen by someone and that person will be gifted from the Goddess Etro with its power. Doesn't Tenebrae follow the same principal?"

The Prince reluctantly tilted his head forward.

"And you were awarded with the power of Light?"

"This power... I would be better without," Noctis whispered darkly, glaring at the painting that he noticed as the Goddess Etro herself. "It's just a problem."

"But that Light," Stella continued, "what do you think its purpose really is?"

Noctis had to think for a moment before answering. "Purpose or not, it's _always_ there..."

Suddenly, he heard his name being called from downstairs and turned to face the staircase.

"I think I should get going."

Stella brushed back her bangs and bowed. "I'm sorry for holding you up, Noctis."

Struggling to find proper words of parting, the Prince just stupidly mumbled, "Er, just 'Noct' is fine."

Stella chuckled. "All right, Noct. If it's fine by you, I'd like to talk to you again and possibly visit Tenebrae..."

Noctis give a miniscule smirk and finally started down the stairs. "Sounds good. I'll give it some thought."

* * *

~Chapter Nineteen Finis~

And that's all for this week. Wow... I'll have 20 chapters next update... and **_Tsubomi_** will become my longest multichaptered fic I have posted here on FF!! [I won't be catching up to Anime-san anytime soon though... Her amazing fic **_Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Fortis_** has almost **60** chapters up! WOW! D:]

I finally got to write about the conversation between Noctis and Stella... it was actually pretty exciting. I think their first confrontation is a big one.

Er, on that note, there was also slight Noctis x Stella-ing this time... Sorry to those of you who hate that pairing. I'll also be updating another alternate yaoi chapter soon too....[wasn't there slight Noctis x Shotgun Guy in this chapter too? That part at the tailor shop was pretty intimate {?} lol]

Well, until then, please review and let me know what you think!!


	20. Chapter 20

Well, it's August... Pretty soon school will be here (and it's already here for many!).. I'll have to make sure to crunch in time for more updates before it's too late and school work will replace valueable typing time! TAT

~Disclaimer:~

I own absolutely nothing from the Final Fantasy universe!

* * *

Tsuyoki de inai to,

Kuzurete shimau ki ga shite.

_I feel like if I'm not strong,_

_I'll crumble._

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twenty~

The party was going pretty well for Vidal, and despite his backround, which was evidently absent for the time being, all of the gorgeous women and rich bachelorettes decided to show him a good time and flirt, with the occasional dance and glass of fine wine. Time passed though, and the blonde noticed how he had gotten so wound up in his fun that he had lost track of where his comrades had drifted off to.

"Dammit," he mumbled under his breath, plowing his way throughout the halls, looking for any sight of Noctis, Adelais, or Ezio. "I wouldn't be suprized if they all ditched me here for kicks...!"

And there, in a lush courtyard, Adelais and Ezio were talking with a rather curvaceous woman and a dark-skinned man dressed in military drab, all of them rather hushed about their conversation. Not wanting to interrupt abruptly, Vidal camouflaged himself among the other guests roaming about the well-trimmed gardens and angelic looking water fountain and casually eavesdropped.

"...you haven't changed, Lebreau," Adelais smiled to the woman, Lebreau, who brushed back a stray strand of her short black hair and smiled impishly in return.

"I could say the same for you, my friend. Travelling around like some sort of free bird, yet still wallowing in your own guilt."

"_Lebreau_," the dark-skinned man shot a glance at her, Adelais just giving a bitter laugh in response.

"It's okay, Sazh. I understand where she's coming from."

"See?" Lebreau folded her arms across her chest, which was, for the most part, bare from her low cut dress. "Even _he_ knows that I can't help but press him like this... The military was enjoyable back in the day when these two were there."

'Huh?' Vidal rose a brow, staring intently at the group. 'Ezio and Adelais were in the military...? They never told me that!'

Continuing to watch them, the one called Sazh suddenly pat Ezio on the shoulder and uttered, "The boy... Vidal... how is he? Have you told him yet?"

Vidal froze at the mentioning of his name. '...?'

Ezio's gaze darkened, and he pushed his glasses up his nose. "No."

Adelais scowled.

Lebreau sighed. "It's because of him, right? The reason why you quit in the first place? However, war is war, and cruelties happen. You were just soldiers following orders. Why take it so hard on yourselves?"

Adelais cringed. "It was... _different_. A soldier may follow his orders, but he shouldn't follow them if he knows they aren't just. What we did that day... that was **massacre**."

Vidal felt his heart pick up its pace and began to tremble. This was sounding all too familiar... **way** too familiar...

"_We **killed** Vidal's parents_," Ezio said, his tone cold. "And we did it right in front of him. The look he had in his eyes... That woke us up. We couldn't be soldiers anymore after commiting such treachery."

The blonde reeled as he felt a rush of nausea wash over him.

The very killers he could never forgive... they were the very people he had risked his life to protect.

The fortuneteller girl... Luna... _she had been right_.

Not wanting to hear another word, Vidal stumbled out of the courtyard and did his best not to blow chunks in the middle of the dance floor, doing his best to try and regain his composure. Taking deep breathes and holding onto the staircase he had mangaed to bumb into, Vidal wiped sweat from his brow and looked up.

Noctis was there...

"N-Noctis!" the blonde blurted, hoping to have someone to console to.

But the Prince was not alone. Infact, a very beautiful blond girl was standing next to him, smiling brightly and chatting as if she and him were long time aquaintances.

Feeling worse than he expected, Vidal continued his anguished walk towards the side exits and made it outside dragging himself along to a deserted side street, vomitting in a nearby trash can and slumping against the wall in an emotional wreck.

"I'm," he spouted, burying his face in his hands, "so stupid..."

* * *

~Chapter Twenty Finis~

And thus, everything falls apart! Oh the tragedy...

We've also reached 20 chapters and just about 200 reviews! Wow... To come this far... Thank you, everyone, from the bottom of my heart! You've stuck with me for this long, so I hope you can all see this story to the very end!

Hmm, I'm estimating about 10 chapters left for this series... But I'm hoping it can last a little longer since it's one of my most favorites to update {Along with my FF7 fic, Loyal SOLDIER}.

Next time, the beginning of the end ensues! What will happen to Vidal now that he knows the truth? What will Adelais and Ezio do to try and explain themselves? And what will happen when Noctis meets his new fiance'???

Please review to find out what happens...!!!!


	21. Chapter 21

New computer means high-speed internet and faster updates! This one is coming at you fast! {This also goes out to Strifey-san… Welcome back to the FF13, VS 13, and Agito 13 Forums!!}

~Disclaimer:~

I must make this statement…since I feel that those copyright enforcers "are always watchin' me!" {Sorry for the horrible song reference…ugh…commencing with the story now…}

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twenty-One~

Noctis wandered the main halls in search for his comrades, sure that he had heard Vidal's voice call him down from the staircase.

'Where is he?' he contemplated, walking about absent-mindedly in a cool stride.

That's when Alaricus spotted him and pulled him aside. "Come with me, young Noctis. There's something I need to discuss with you."

Hesitant, Noctis didn't excuse his godfather's wishes and obediently followed him to his office…

~…~

After Ezio and Adelais finished up their reunion with their old acquaintances from the military, they started off back to the main halls looking for Vidal and Noctis. However, neither of them were in sight. They didn't even seem to be in the room for that matter.

Approaching a group of girls that they had seen Vidal with last, Adelais asked them where he could've whisked off to.

"Last time I saw," said a cute-faced brunette, "he stumbled towards the front doors… I think he looked rather green around the gills, if you know what I mean…"

"Thank you very much," Adelais bowed, nodding to Ezio and heading for the grand double door entrance.

And there, on the top of the steps declining downward, Vidal sat slumped, resting his forehead on his knees, holding them close to his body with his shaking arms.

"Hey," Ezio slowly trotted over, "are you all right? Drink too much?"

The blonde didn't respond.

"Vidal," Adelais started, "what's wrong?"

"_What's wrong_?" Vidal reiterated somewhat vexed by the scarred-man's innocent statement. " What's wrong?!"

He then hastily got up and revealed his furious disposition, eyed flaring with a burning hatred. "Everything is wrong!! It's all been a **lie**!!!"

The two froze, perplexed.

Vidal looked to his feet, his fists clenching tightly. "You… You're both bastards!! Tell me… TELL ME WHY YOU NEVER TOLD ME **YOU** WERE THE **MURDERERS** OF MY PARENTS?!"

Ezio went wide-eyed while Adelais stood in complete taciturn.

"How…?"

"You and your military buddies are pretty close, huh?" Vidal glowered. "How many other innocent lives did you take together?"

Despite the tension, Adelais stood his ground. "Listen, Vidal, we…"

"SHOVE IT!!!" the blonde exclaimed. "I'm done with this… I'm done… with **you two**!"

He then pushed past them and stormed back inside the building.

'Damn it,' Vidal forced back stinging tears. 'What do I do now…?'

~…~

"Fiancé?"

"Surprised?" Alaricus spouted in a mocking tone, facing the wall-sized window in his office that faced the city. "I've arranged this so that you may return peacefully to Tenebrae with someone by your side to keep you company…"

The Prince wasn't sold. "I'm not going back there."

"Oh?" Alaricus turned around, sneering. "I wasn't asking, young Noctis. I'm _telling_. You will go back to Tenebrae or else your new traveling companions may fall under a bit of unfortunate luck… It's not my fault if something bad happens to them. Besides, they're runaways and rogue military officers… _no one_ will miss their kind."

Noctis grit his teeth. "…Who is this girl that you've sent?"

Alaricus then gestured to the unlit part of the room, where an unseen, undetected, presence steeped forth.

It was Stella.

"You?!" Noctis gasped, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.

She curtsied and smiled lightly. "A pleasure to be reunited with you… Prince Noct."

* * *

~Chapter Twenty-One Finis~

Noctis nooo!! Don't fall under her charm! This is starting to feel more like a soap opera then anything…BTW, random and not hinted well enough, but that "cute-faced brunette" girl was Yuffie Kisaragi. Yeah, I know. Totally out of place with this one, but she snuck into the party to steal some rich goods and stuff.

Well, I have 8 days of summer vacation left and this story is almost over… I wonder how much longer it'll last…?

REVIEW!! Please?


	22. Chapter 22

Finally! An update! School has been such a hassle… {I'm failing math already! :'D} There's just no time to get anything productive done! Again, I'm really sorry for the delays and everything… But I hope you all still enjoy! {Excuse the chapter if it's a bit short, by the way… it was longer in the written version X'O}

~Disclaimer:~

I own not the Final Fantasy of Versus 13.

* * *

_'He who throws away a friend, is as bad as he who throws away his life.' - __**Sophocles**_

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twenty-Two~

Noctis gazed idly out of the tinted car window, the scenery flying past him blurred and dull. Ezio nor Adelais spoke a word to him; the Prince didn't try to start up a conversation either. It was the beginning of a dark time, indeed, fate's hands turning the infamous clock of destiny forward.

As the car sped up and the road paved into a black-top, the wasteland began to meld into the familiar concrete jungle Noctis knew all too well, the bridge stretching far into his kingdom he had wished he'd left behind.

'I,' he thought, closing his weary golden eyes, 'truly can't escape that which has been laid out for me after all…'

~…~

It had been before their departure, Noctis looked to Ezio and Adelais apologetically.

"I'm going to have to give you my request of leave," he uttered, unblinking.

"What?" Adelais gaped. "Noctis… you fool! What did your godfather say?! What did he scam you into?!"

"…" the Prince remained silent.

The scarred man lost his patience and grabbed Noctis by the cuff of his shirt. "Tell me! Tell me now, Noctis!"

Ezio sighed and grasped his partner's shoulder. "Let it go. Can't you see that this has nothing to do with us? This type of situation is out of our hands… There's nothing we can do."

"But…!"

"Hey… Where's Vidal?" Noctis suddenly cut in, noticing the blonde's sudden absence.

"He…" Adelais started.

Yet he didn't have the heart to finish his statement.

Ezio rubbed his sore temples. "He's gone."

Noctis' eyes widened in surprise.

"Vidal's left and gone off on his own," the bespeckled man uttered. "We… we've been keeping something from him that we shouldn't have… But we were only soldiers following orders back then. We have no excuses for what we did, yet…"

"…" Noctis looked to both ex-military personnel and shook his head. "I see. Well, I have a favor to ask of you both…"

"Sure," Adelais tilted his head forward. "Anything for you, Noctis."

Ezio almost scoffed. 'Of course we'd help, you foolish prince…"

It would be one of his last requests to them after all.

~...~

Stella brushed back her bangs from her face and calmly exhaled as she sank back into the rear seat of her escorting vehicle.

'It's only a matter of time now,' she thought, a small smirk placing itself upon her lips. 'I'll finally be able to get revenge for you, Snow…'

* * *

~Chapter Twenty-Two Finis~

And that's all for now… Kinda depresses me every time I type a chapter ^^;; I hope I can go on!

And so it's laid out… the battles that will bring about the ultimate end! The sacrifice…! The friendship…! The betrayal...!

_It begins…_

**IF YOU REVIEW!! X3**


	23. Chapter 23

It's been AGES!!!! X X;;; I'm SO sorry for being on such an extended hiatus… School is really tough this year! But to make it up to you all, here a nice long chapter ^^

~Disclaimer:~

I own not a thing!

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twenty-Three~

Slinging his thin pack over his shoulder, Vidal gave one last glance at the grandiose city behind him , his brown eyes downcast, etched with sour regret.

~…~

He had been silent when found by Adelais at the front entrance, his forehead creased with irritation, lips formed in a taut scowl.

"You don't have to say anything to me," Adelais started, "But I at least wanted you to know that Noctis is going to be departing for Tenebrae…"

"Tch," the blonde clicked his tongue bitterly, "like it matters…"

Adelais opened his mouth to retort, but just held a skeptical gaze.

Vidal turned away and began to storm off. "I've nothing to do with him anymore. So he can just go back to wherever the hell he cam from and be happy there!!"

~…~

"I shouldn't have been that harsh," the blonde muttered lowly to himself, scuffing a stray piece of gravel at his foot. "But… It's too late to turn back now…"

He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Noct. But it looks like I won't be seeing this through to the end like I promised…Dammit."

~…~

After walking into the night in his lonesome, Vidal came across a stray pub, filled with dusty motorcyclists and gang members, each giving him a ravenous glare and grunt as he briskly made his way to the front

counter.

"So, what'll it be?" chimed a familiar voice.

"_V-Vanille_?!" Vidal blurted, remembering the rusty pig-tails vividly.

"Oh, Vidal! Fancy seeing you here!" she exclaimed, passing down a jug of fizzing beer to a customer. "Just passing along?"

"Y-yeah," he nodded. "Kind of. But, er, what're **you** doing here?"

"Me? I'm just traveling along to get to the big city." she smiled cutely. "Girl's gotta get some shopping done, y'know? Hey, where's your friend?"

"Oh, he… I'm not with him anymore, or the others to put it out there," the blonde said with falling enthusiasm. "I'm on my own now."

"Hunh, that's no fun," Vanille pouted, wiping her hands on her apron and resting them on the polished counter. "But I guess all good things have to come to an end."

"…"

"You know, no regrets and all that."

"'No regrets'…" Vidal uttered.

"Yeah!" Vanille nodded. "As long as you cherish the memories you already have and have lived life to the fullest, then things should be okay."

"…" the blonde closed his eyes and gave a crooked smirk. "What am I doing?"

"Huh?"

Vidal stood up from his stool and gave a toothy grin to the pig-tailed red head. "Thank you, Vanille. I think I needed that."

"Um, you're… welcome?" she sweat dropped, watching him dash out.

Falling into a reckless sprint, Vidal ran into the distance, aimless yet straightforward. 'I'm the biggest fool of them all. I'm no good on my own, no matter how you look at it! Noct… I need to see this through! I

made a promise… and I can't back down now! Whatever the reason you returned to Tenebrae, I need to know! I'm going to find out!'

Nearly on the verge from passing out due to a lack of oxygen, Vidal slowed down and stopped in front of a spectacular view of the city from above on a narrow peak.

"It looks different from far away, doesn't it?"

Vidal turned around hastily, a peculiar rush of frigid air filling his system.

It was Luna.

"You," Vidal blinked, "you're that fortuneteller girl I met at the market! You….showed me the truth."

"Yes," she whispered, her pale, white body aglow in in the darkness. "I have one more thing to present to you before I disappear for good."

"Disappear…?" Vidal raised a brow.

Luna gave a faint trace of a smile. "I am not apart of this existence, Vidal. I'm but an entity that watches over the crystals of this world, helping their presences stay permanent , even if that means associating

with humans in order to make that happen."

"But why me?" the blonde gestured to himself. "I have no connection to the crystals…. That's Noct's specialty! And that cloaked man I encountered before as well!"

"True, but you are far more important than you give yourself credit for. Listen to me: Depending on your actions, the fate of those around you can be altered… for the better or for worse."

He was speechless. "I… I have _control_ over that? You're kidding me!"

Luna's stare was hard and dire. "Depending on what you do… you may die. And so may the Prince and your companions."

Vidal swallowed hard air. "What…? I'm going to… _die_?"

Luna remained silent.

"Tell me… Tell me what I have to do, Luna!"

"I'm sorry," she apologized, her body becoming more transparent, fading into the moonlit clouds above. "But that is something you'll have to decide on your own. I am not allowed to interfere with the hands of

fate, nor can I show you the impending future. All I can do is give you this warning."

Vidal clenched his fists and shook his head. "Why even bother? It'll just make me more paranoid now!"

"Then my job here is complete," Luna said with a giggle. "Farewell, Vidal. My best wishes to you… and to the future."

~…~

"The 'future, huh?" Vidal rubbed the back of his neck, Luna's words still burnt into the back of his brain. "Geez… Way to make things ten times more stressful…"

Exhaling heavily, he looked forward. "I need to get to Tenebrae quick… But I won't be abe to make it any time soon on foot… If only I have a vehicle…Ugh."

And on foot he walked, the night soon entering a foggy dawn…

* * *

~Chapter Twenty-Three Finis~

All right. I Got a lot of Vidal in there… and Yuki's cutie OC Luna! {For the last time? All right go to her by the way…}

I don't have much to say… I really wanted to put Hope in this story… but I don't think he'll be able to fit anywhere !{Nooo!!! TT TT}

Anywho, next time, all I can say is:

Cue _Somnus Nemoris_. ;;o o

**REVIEW PLEASE!!!!**


	24. Chapter 24

Craaap! I've ABUSED this fic TT TT But I promise to have this finished by the end of 2011! That is my goal! The US release of Final Fantasy XIII has thrown me into an obsessive tizzy so I've been on a hiatus for EVERYTHING! X X;; I've lost a lot of my integrity… but now..! It shall begin AGAIN!

Let's go everyone! The final last chapters of Final Fantasy Versus XIII: Tsubomi are here!

~Disclaimer:~

Noctis and kin belong not to me, but to Squeenix and friends.

* * *

Fuan nante kiete shimaeba...Ii.

_I hope this anxiety…Goes away._

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twenty-Four~

Feeling the car come to a stop in front of an all too familiar cathedral styled palace, Noctis brushed back the hair that hung in front of his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Stepping out in a single motion, he slammed the car door shut behind him, staring grimly at the place he despised most.

'In the end… I'm always sent back to my cage like some pitied bird who's had its wings clipped.'

"Well, we're here," Ezio said, adjusting his glasses as usual.

"Yeah," Adelais added dryly.

The Prince averted his golden eyes to his comrades. This would be the very last time he would see them… ever.

A wash of sadness struck him as he strode over to their side.

"I thank you both," the Prince stated firmly, trying not to let his emotions show through, "for taking my request and escorting me here."

"Noctis," Adelais started, "are you sure about this?"

"…yes," he titled his head slightly. "I have to do this."

Ezio groaned. "_Really_?"

"?" Noctis looked at the be speckled man questionably.

"Are _you_ really the one in control? Because it seems to me like you're doing this to satisfy someone else's wishes."

Noctis was slightly troubled by those words and let out a deep chuckle. "As sharp as ever."

Ultimately fed up, Ezio wanted to give the ignorant Prince a good sock to the jaw before a sharp clearing of a throat threw them off.

"Excuse me," it was Stella, "but if you've said your farewells, then I'd like to discuss my plans with my fiancé."

"I'm sorry," Noctis looked to her over his shoulder, "but give me a moment more. Please, head inside ahead of me. I'll meet you there shortly."

Sharp eyes piercing like lightning, Stella trotted off as she was told.

"Looks like I can't spend much more time with you," Noctis sighed. "This is it."

Adelais and Ezio were enveloped in a stifling quietude. What were they supposed to say?

At a loss of words himself, Noctis nodded. " Goodbye."

Adelais scowled dramatically.

"You **impulsive fool**!" he roared, finally stepping forward and punching the baffled Prince across the cheek. "You don't have to hold yourself back all the time! Why can't you just follow your own desires instead of playing into another's hand?!"

Noctis stood stiff, face still turned, the hit mark throbbing with another type of pain… One that hurt his heart more than his skin.

Ezio pat his shoulder. "We're going to miss you, rather you like it or not."

"…Thank you," Noctis finally spouted, hiding his view with his bangs, "both of you. For everything."

"Noctis…"

He started towards the castle, stopping abruptly midway from the staircase.

"And if you ever see Vidal again… Tell him that I wholly appreciated his help. He was… my best friend."

He then disappeared behind the large double entrance doors, the ghost of his memory now a shadowed one.

Standing like idle ducks, Ezio and Adelais were unable to act on their next prerogative, if there even was one anyway.

Going on with nothing to continue from, they too headed off, back into the vehicle, and away from the place that had brought them all together in the beginning. It was only cruel fate that it would be their parting place as well.

~…~

{Cue _Somnus Nemoris_}

The days passed by and the city of Tenebrae grew darker still, with thickening opaque clouds and ominous fog. Stella nor Noctis seldom ever left their castle, spending their time together in mute, never saying a word to the other except for a stray greeting or question.

Then the predestined day arrived.

Noctis was resting at his throne as always, chin resting on his palm, one leg slung other the other in a slumped posture. But as the disturbance of the force outside of the castle walls drew near, Noctis' weary golden eyes sluggishly blinked awake, and he knew what needed to be done next.

'There's no time to think,' he got up from his seat and treaded towards the doors, 'I can't brood over the past anymore--my family, my enemies, my friends--I have to let it all go.'

He pushed against the cold metal under his gloved hands and glanced over the miserable army that he had ever set his sights on.

'All that matters is the present,' he glared to the guns pointed in his way, as if they could ever stand a chance. 'What's in front of me… what I've ben destined to do… what I've been trusted to protect… That damned crystal…'

And he stepped forward. 'There's no turning back.'

The bullets pouring out of the gun barrels held by the multitude of soldiers pelted Noctis like rain, but not a one of the metallic droplets touched his skin. Instead, his magical defense deflected each shell with a definite "clang" and rendered it useless.

Noctis raised his arm and blue light swirled around him, the crystal that hid itself deep within his fortress aiding him with incredible power, cursed power. His summoned blades surrounded his body and he grabbed his most trusted one, his eyes melting into a blood red crimson.

He rushed forward, slicing through the stationary men with ease, like a hot knife through butter. He would demolish them all… render them helpless and dead…

All in the name of protecting the crystal.

* * *

~Chapter Twenty-Four Finis~

A nice long update after so long an absence. Hopefully I can get up another by the end of the week…! Yaay ambitiousness..! I've really missed writing about these guys.. ah, what a place to pick up X'D

I also really wanted to start a Hope Estheim and Lightning fanfic soon ...... =////= *weirdo girl*

And there won't be a sequal to this story... when it ends, it will end!! And that's that! {Just thought I'd throw that out there.}

Anyway… please review if you want more! I was so surprised to see the increasing status on this fic…! You all make this noob so happy ; v ; Next time, Vidal to the rescue and a surprise appearance! I estimate less than 10 chapters left, so be sure to catch all the updates! Kupo..!


	25. Chapter 25

Hey, everyone! The beginning of chapter 25 is a more detailed recap of the final battle depicted at the end of the last chapter. I felt as if, since this is such an epic battle that I love to watch over and over in the trailers, I should do a much better job at describing it. So here we go: Somnus Nemoris take two! And ACTION!

~Disclaimer:~

Another haiku

Because I know you love them

To disclaim Versus

* * *

**Somnus Nemoris **

Tellus dormitet liberi in diem faciuntnumquam extinguuntne expergisci possint.

Omnia dividittragoedia coramamandum quae.

Et nocte perpetuaehem vel vera visionepar oram videbo temane tempu expergiscendi.

_The kingdom sleepsand children sacrifice themselves day by dayuntil they extinguish,and they will never awake._

_This tragedy destroys,in front of them,every beloved thing._

_And in this never-ending night,Look there, the real visionon the edge; I will see youand the next morning the time will awake._

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twenty-Five~

He jut out his arm, eleven respective weapons flashing in a swirl of blue and white light, surrounding Noctis in an impressive vortex display of magical prowess. Grabbing onto the handle of his most trusted of the eleven weapons, Noctis felt an invigorating surge of power rush through his entire system, his hair turning a darker shade of black, like that of perpetual night, and his golden eyes melding to that of a crimson red rose, his pupils glaring nothing but the daggers of thorns at his attackers.

Without warning, he flew forward, the gravity as light as the air itself under his heels, propelling him forward, his blade clashing against armor like a hot knife through butter--easy.

With the first flank decimated, the rest of the soldiers drew in, as if numbers could change their odds at survival. Stabbing his weapon into the concrete for stability, Noctis drew forth a gun blade from his arsenal and used the handle of his stuck-fast blade to spin around in a complete 360 degrees, wiping out the second raid of intruders with a shower of magically enhanced bullets.

"St-Stop him! We've got the advantage here! Shoot!" cried one of the soldiers, an alleged commander.

It wasn't long that he exclaimed this that he soon fell to Noctis' blade, drowning in a puddle of his own blood.

The Prince felt no remorse, however. Those that were attempting to take his crystal deserved nothing of his sympathy. As long as they longed for it, he would destroy them…

It was as simple as that.

Teleporting at the speed of light in foresight of more opposition, Noctis scaled the sides of his fortress, almost invisible to the naked eye, and disposed of the vermin trying to sneak within from the windowsills and rooftops. Freefalling for a moment, a soldier fired at Noctis frantically in a feeble attempt to save himself, screaming in sheer terror at the crimson eyed reaper before him. Thrusting his blade forward, Noctis heard the sickening sound of the crunching of metal and bone, and the blood spraying from the soldier's backside, raining down onto the streets below like hell's rain.

Realizing that they stood no chance of being able to defeat this superhuman individual, the army's numbers decreased significantly, save for a few who held more heavy artillery.

Just about to head back up the steps of his castle, the remaining soldiers unleashed one last revolt--several cannon based rocket missiles. Noctis simply craned his neck for a moment before he was enveloped in a plethora of smoke and blast powder, his shield, once again, rendering the attack useless.

Hightailing away after such a sight, Noctis was the only one left, his remaining company a sea of corpses. It was, indeed, a pitiable sight.

Closing his eyes, the Prince dismissed his weapons and walked back inside towards his throne, to, once more, lock himself within his suffocating cage.

~…~

Four days had passed and Vidal was no where close to reaching the kingdom of Tenebrae. In fact, he was even more far from it than ever. But not only was he lost without directions, but he was running low on rations and confidence as well.

"Things are gonna suck if I have to start eating one of my limbs," he joked to himself as he gnawed on the last stale bread roll he had at the edge of an unfinished road. "I was sure that this would've taken me somewhere familiar… but it looks like it's any man's guess from here on out."

Sighing heavily, Vidal looked to the peach colored heavens with weary eyes. "Dammit… I should've asked Vanille for directions or a map when I had the chance… I'm such a moron!!"

Brooding over it for a couple more moments, the blonde finally picked himself up and continued on. The dryness of the air stung his already strained eyes and irritated his sunburned skin.

"What I wouldn't do," he moaned, "for a nice comfy car right now… Hell a **bicycle **would do! I just need something to go faster and get off my feet… or else I'll never make it anywhere!"

And as Vidal complained, a loud roaring sound was crying from behind him, like a berserk motor on overdrive. Turning his head just so, the blonde quickly panicked as a behemoth of a motorbike was on his tail, his legs reflexively adjusting themselves into a sprint as he made a mad dash for his life.

'Of all the…!' he thought, pumping his limbs harder. 'I wished for a vehicle and here it is coming to kill me! Shit!'

But as he felt the tip of the spinning rubber of the front wheel reach his heels, Vidal dived out of the way and rolled onto the desert earth, coughing up gritty sand that made its way into his gasping mouth. Looking over his shoulder, the motorcycle had stopped right before trampling over him, the rider of such a beast striding over to his side.

"Waitaminute," the blonde squinted, sand in his eyelashes, "you…"

"Forgot me already?!" the figure boomed, becoming but a blackened silhouette in front of the fiery setting sun.

"N-no, way," Vidal gasped. "**SNOW**?!"

The ex-assassin grinned. "Back from the depths of hell, baby."

~…~

Stella wandered the halls of the castle gracefully, heading over to Noctis' quarters in habitual routine. Tapping against the embellished door with the silver knocker, she received no vocal response as always, and simply entered inside. There, Stella found Noctis sitting at the edge of his bed, a towel around his bare shoulders and chest, hair and skin dripping wet from a recent shower. Snaking her way to his side, she peeled the towel from him and placed it on his head.

"What's wrong?" she feigned sincere concern, drying his soppy black hair for him. "Why haven't you dried off yet? If you're careless you'll get sick, and then who will protect our kingdom?"

Noctis' languid red orbs winced at the use of the plural possession.

Stella smiled at the reaction, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't tell me you're having repressed feelings about all of this? You can't just stop, you know. Aren't we going to have the chance of a happier life? Won't we finally achieve an existence of peace?"

"_Happier_ life?" the Prince finally replied. "_Peace_? No. No amount of peace is worth this much bloodshed. And if you've let my godfather's empty words get to your head, then let me remind you of our current situation: we're now, slowly and steadily, decaying from the inside out."

Stella, brought aback by Noctis' invocations, retreated her hold and drew a tight line across her pretty face with her lips. "Yes… But still!!"

Pulling off the towel from his head, Noctis averted his crimson gaze to her and held it with an overwhelming sense of grave seriousness. "And there is absolutely no cure."

Rendered utterly speechless, Stella jolted up from the bad and stormed out, distraught by the inevitable.

'Very well. We may be dying, and there may be no getting past it… But mark my words, Noctis Lucis Caelum, you will perish before my own time is up!'

* * *

~Chapter Twenty-Five Finis~

Oh my, Stella… Your sexy wiles couldn't turn on Noctis. I wonder what she'll do next? (Please don't kill me for this chapter, Stella-Haters… Even though StellaxNoctis has become increasingly more popular…! OcO)

Oh and Snow is alive! Well, I had planned his "revival" a couple of chapters after I supposedly "killed" him off, so yeah… he'll become a vital asset to the finale now =x=;; (As much as I hate to admit it… orz)

Speaking of finales, has anyone around here beat FF13 yet? (I know you have Qwerty-san =3=) I mean, I bet those hard core gamers have, but I mean, I'm only on Chapter 7... =v=;;(I need more time to play!!!)

Well, without further ado, I hereby end my ranting. Now REVIEW please! And thank you for over 300!! Next chapter I will seriously LIST every single reviewer to date and personally thank EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!!

No lie.

So keep REVIEWING!! *A*/


	26. Chapter 26

I have a legit job now… Working at a local ice cream joint. Yep, just moving up in the world. Anywho, I won't let this effect my updates! I'll do everything in my power to keep my real life problems away from my fanfictions!

~Disclaimer:~

I own not a thing that is labeled under the category "Final Fantasy"… except my own plots and ideas ; v ;

* * *

_**Tsubomi**_

~Chapter Twenty-Six~

"What is this?" Ezio snapped, slamming the car door shut and reaching into his jacket for his pistol. "I demand to know the reasoning behind your actions!"

Sazh sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry boys. But it's your hides or mine…"

"Why?" Adelais inquired darkly. "Are you _that_ sick of covering for us already?"

"I… I'm just not going to sacrifice my family's well-being for your own misdemeanors."

"_Misdemea_--! Why you back-stabbing, sunova..!!" Ezio glowered, ready to pull out his weapon.

But before he could do so, Adelais grabbed the bespeckled man's arm and shook his head. "Look at our predicament. We stand no chance against a horde of soldiers."

"Damn… Damn it!!"

"Look," Sazh began, "if you come easily, your charges won't be so severe. Trust me, you're in good hands right now."

The chocobo chick in the dark-skinned man's bush of a hairstyle popped up and cheeped in agreement.

Ezio lowered his haunches, knowing anything he said or did would, from here on out, be used against him. "If our charges are due to treason… Then isn't what you're doing no different?"

"I really am… sorry, Sazh looked away and nodded to his troops, allowing them to march in on the two vagabonds…

~…~

Noctis was lounging at the main hall for a change, a tedious row of at least 30 empty chairs on each side of the ridiculously long table. The Prince took comfort to the head spot, the one that overlooked all the others before it, the one that his father had once taken so much pride in sitting in…

Brushing his hand over the polished wood before him, Noctis found himself feeling sadly nostalgic; he hadn't remembered the last time he ever sat here, or even entered this room.

"Noct," Stella's voice rang on cue, "there you are."

He looked to her from the corner of his eyes. "Hm."

Strolling in, the blonde carried with her a thin, sterling silver serving tray, a tea set laid out decoratively upon it.

"I brought you some tea," she said as she began to hand him his own saucer and cup. "I thought it would be nice for us to share a drink together… you know, bond some?"

As she poured the steamy brown liquid, Noctis stood up and stepped towards the window behind his seat, the mid-afternoon sun beginning to set.

"Out with it."

"?" Stella cocked her head in question. "What do you mean?"

"You know very well what I mean… This _act_. Truthfully, I'm growing tired of it."

Stella's bright eyes slyly narrowed. "I'm afraid I don't follow… You say such silly thing sometimes, Noct."

He closed his crimson eyes, agitated of having to continue such a tiresome conversation. "From the moment we first met in person, I've known that our encounter was no coincidence. My god father, Alaricus, set this whole thing up."

"And it's wonderful, isn't it?" Stella added, folding her arms behind her back. "For us to be able to stay together for company? I mean, we're so alike, being keepers of tremendous power and all."

Noctis glare to her, furious, yet managing to hold it back, maintaining his usual cool composure. "If you think I'd believe any of those lies, than you truly are a bigger fool than I thought. Why not just say it, Stella? You hate me; you want to kill me; erase me from the face of this earth."

She was silent for the most part. "…You're talking nonsense."

The Prince shrugged her off and "hmphed", beginning his way out of the main hall. "Suit yourself. But heed this: Everything will resolve itself in the time to come."

Stella held her poker-face, and caught the Prince's arm before he passed her.

He observed her, seeing her current fragile self, giving out an empathetic sigh. She was _still_ a young girl after all…

"Your tea," she mumbled, "I made it especially for us. Won't you at least have some?"

Noctis almost laughed, running his gloved fingers through the hair at her shoulder. "Forgive me. I don't drink anything intoxicated with poison."

~…~

As Snow halted the motor for a quick time break, Vidal slipped off of the back seat and leaned against the body of the bike, his thoughts finally sorting out into decent questions.

"Snow… How did you survive?"

"Funny story," the ex-assassin grinned crudely, stretching his limbs. "My summons saved me, just before I was about to crack my skull open."

Vidal recalled the elegant twin eidolons that formed into Snow's first motorcycle. "Did they…?"

"Die? No," Snow answered as-a-matter-of-factly, "they're much more sturdier than that. This piece of scrap metal here," he smacked it for emphasis, "is just a temporary gig. I'm trying to draw less attention to myself, lay low if you want to put it more simply."

"Yeah…" Vidal blinked. "Say, why're you headed to Tenebrae anyway? I doubt you want to see Noctis… Wait, don't tell me you're still trying to..?!"

"Naaw," Snow threw the blonde off again, shrugging this time. "There's someone else I need to see… Someone who I need to apologize to."

"Huh?" Vidal raised a brow.

"The Prince's so called 'fiancé' at the moment… **Stella Nox Fleuret**."

'It must be that blond woman I saw at the party,' Vidal concluded. "Fiancé?"

The ex-assassin nodded. "Right. She's most likely abiding to such a thing because of me, so…"

"?"

"Don't worry about it," Snow pat Vidal on the shoulder, climbing back on his motorcycle. "Everything will work out once we get there. C'mon."

Vidal silently complied and boarded on rear, a strange sickening feeling entering his gut.

The crystal, Noctis, the kingdom of Tenebrae, Stella, and now Snow.

Things just seemed to get more and more complex and out of reach as the distance drew closer…

Speaking of, at the horizon line, four cars were about to zoom by, three being military vehicles and the last looking like a Caelum model. Curious, Vidal craned his head just so in order to see who was inside each.

Soldiers in many, dressed down in their gettups and helmets, but in one there was glasses… and a deep scar running along one's face…

"_Ezio_," Vidal gasped out. "_Adelais_?!"

* * *

~Chapter Twenty-Six Finis~

I don't have much to say… it's 4am right now and my mentality state is slowly deteriorating…

Stella uses a much more subtle approach and receives better feedback from Noctis!! {This is starting to sound like a Dating Sim lol} But I promised some more SxN moments and there was one.

And I always love writing for Snow… I hate him, but he's so easy to write ; v ;

I said I was going to list reviewers… but that'll have to wait. I know. Shoot me now and eat my innards… But I'm so damn tired DX

Review please…and then I'll get to thanking everyone personally… eventually D'X


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